Tyrimo tikslas - įvertinti vaikų su klausos negalia brandumą mokyklai, su tuo susijusius socialinius-demografinius veiksnius ir sąsajas su mokymosi sėkme pirmoje klasėje. Tyrime dalyvavo 16 iš maždaug 24 parengiamosios ir pirmos klasės mokinių iš trijų kurčiųjų ir neprigirdinčiųjų ugdymo centrų Lietuvoje: 10 parengiamosios ir 6 pirmos klasės mokiniai. Jų amžiaus vidurkis - 7,5 metų. 11 vaikų buvo kurti, 5 - neprigirdintys; 11 vaikų tėvai taip pat turi klausos sutrikimus, 5 - tėvai girdintys; 11 vaikų gerai kalba gestų kalba, 5 - prastai; visi vaikai lankė ikimokyklines įstaigas. Tiriamieji dalyvavo dviejų sesijų individualiuose brandumo mokyklai vertinimuose, kurių metu buvo vertinamas intelektinis brandumas (intelektinis lygis pagal Raven spalvotųjų progresuojančių matricų testą, dėmesingumas, žodinė ir vaizdinė trumpalaikė atmintis, matematinis suvokimas), fizinis pasirengimas ir socialinis-emocinis brandumas pagal Galių ir sunkumų klausimyną. Tyrimo rezultatai parodė, kad vaikų su klausos negalia intelektiniam brandumui didėjant, jų rezultatai kitose vertinamose pasirengimo mokyklai srityse taip pat gerėja, ypač vaikų žodinė atmintis, dėmesingumas, fizinis ir socialinis-emocinis brandumas. Klausos negalią turinčių tėvų vaikai, turintys klausos sutrikimų, yra nežymiai geriau pasirengę mokyklai nei girdinčių tėvų vaikai, turintys klausos sutrikimų. Gerai gestų kalba kalbantys vaikai pasižymi aukštesniu intelektiniu, matematiniu ir fiziniu brandumu, dėmesingumu ir geresniais... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The aim of the study was to assess school readiness of hearing impaired children, its relationship with socio-demographic factors and coherence with successful learning in the first grade. In this research participated 16 children from about 24 who are studying in 5 deaf and hard of hearing educational centres: 10 was preschoolers and 6 first grade students. Age average: 7.5 years. In this group was: 11 deaf and 5 hard of hearing pupils, 11 children whose parents were hearing impaired and 5 whose parents hearing, 11 children who are good sign language users and 5 who poorly can speak it. All of pupils attended kindergartens. Children participated in two individual assessments of readiness for school in intellectual maturity (intellectual level according to Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices test, attentiveness, verbal and visual short-term memory, mathematical comprehension), physical readiness and social-emotional maturity according to teachers' Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The results of the study showed that hearing impaired children' increased intellectual maturity is coherent with better results in all other readiness for school areas, especially verbal memory, attentiveness, physical and social-emotional maturity. Children whose parents are hearing impaired are a bit better at readiness for school than children whose parents are hearing. Children who are good at sign language achieved better results in intellectual maturity, mathematical comprehension... [to full text]

Background: Breast and Gynecological cancers are a major public health problem. Smoking is associated with several chronic diseases including cancer. Other lifestyles of public health predispose many people to dyslipidemia, hypertension and obesity; risk factors for metabolic syndrome, and are associated with cancer. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to find if those who smoke, and have the metabolic syndrome, are more likely to have breast or gynecological cancers, and to find the distribution by education, having health insurance, race/ethnicity and socio-economic status. Methods: A case-control study of females aged 20 years and above who participated in the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2010. Results: Females who have smoked more than hundred cigarettes in life and still smoke; a) have a 42 percent less chance of having a breast cancer diagnosis (OR 0.58; 95% CI 0.36 – 0.93, p-value 0.025), and b) are 2.67 times as likely to report a cervical cancer diagnosis as females who have smoked less than hundred cigarettes in life (OR 2.67; 95% CI 1.72 – 4.13, p-value Conclusion: Smoking and metabolic syndrome are very important indicators of reproductive health and needs further study. Smoking cessation interventions should be an integral part of cervical cancer prevention programs especially targeted at younger females and females who live below the federal poverty level.

Sweden holds third place of diabetes incidence in young people after Finland and Sardinia. One fifth of the population is nowadays of foreign descent. We have a substantial number of immigrants from countries where the risk for T1D is considerably lower. Migration as a natural experiment is a concept to assess the risk for diabetes in offspring of immigrant parents and assess the interaction between genetics (genotype) and the impact of environment (phenotype). Aims: To study the risk of incurring diabetes for children of immigrant parents living in Sweden (I) and further study the risk if the child is born in Sweden or not (II); to specifically study and evaluate if children from East Africa have increased risk to develop T1D (III). To investigate if clinical and sociodemographic status at T1D onset differs between immigrant children compared to their Swedish indigenous peers (IV). Finally to study the clinical outcome and the impact of socio-demographic factors at diabetes onset after three years of treatment (V). Methods: All five studies are observational, nationwide and population based, on prospectively collected data. Statistics mainly by logistic and linear regressions. Results: Parental country of origin is a strong determinant for diabetes in the offspring. Children born to immigrant parents seem to keep their low risk compared to their Swedish peers (I). When adding the factor of being born in Sweden, the pattern changed; there was a significantly (p < 0.001) increased risk for T1D if the child was born in Sweden (II). East Africans have a substantial risk for T1D and especially if the children are born in Sweden (III). Immigrant children and adolescents have worse metabolic start at T1D onset compared to their indigenous Swedish peers (IV). After 3 years of treatment, the immigrant children had a sustained higher median HbA1c, compared to their Swedish peers (V). Conclusions: Genotype and influences during fetal life or early infancy have an important impact for the risk of T1D pointing towards epigenetics playing a substantial role. Children with an origin in East Africa have a high risk of incurring T1D. Immigrant children have worse metabolic start at T1D onset, which sustains after three years of treatment

The aim of this thesis is to analyze the current public transport accessibility of the city Kaplice and suggest improvements for further functioning. The first theoretical part explains the used transport and demographic terms and methods as well as the characteristics of the city itself. The second analytical part analyzes the city public transport situation and related demographic variables. The emphasis is on the evaluation of the current situation in all modes of transport and the combination of demographic and transport characteristics in favor of creating an overal framework. For this reason the SWOT analysis was carried out. At the end of the thesis the population projection is used to estimate future developments in this area and outline possible solutions and recommendations for optimal and efficient public transport in the town.

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH) / Unrestricted

Through a national collection, the Swedish Police identify and classify vulnerable neighborhoods. Areas are assessed through police perceptions regarding high concentrations of certain problems and criminal activity, such as public acts of violence with risk of harming third parties, open drug markets and organised crime structures. The purpose of this study has been to see whether it is possible to statistically discover these neighborhoods based on socioeconomic and demographic data. Initially, in a national comparison, areas that are defined as vulnerable neighborhoods by the national collection, was compared with other areas in the country. This was done based on a statistical grid consisting of squares with the dimension of 250 x 250 meters, with each square holding information about socio-demographic data. The main aim has been to identify a statistical model that more objectively can identify squares that are vulnerable or not, compared to the police's more subjective assessment. Result from logistic regression analyses implies that vulnerable neighborhoods from the national collection show greater odds at having high concentrations of residents with foreign background, higher unemployment rates and more households with single parents. Lastly, the best fitted regression model for explaining these areas by the means of pseudo R2-value, were used to calculate a prediction value for each square. This value was then analysed using a GIS-software, to discover any areas that in the national collection was classified as vulnerable, but according to the model no longer met the criteria, and then vice versa. The overall result indicate that it is possible to discover areas with higher concentrations of certain characteristics seen in vulnerable neighborhoods, using spatial analyses and logistic regressions of micro-places, to more objectively classify these areas. By aggregating crime data, the result of this study can in the future mean a more effective implementation for police authorities.

Background and Purpose: People living with SCI (PLWSCI) have to cope with various challenges when they return home after institutionalized rehabilitation, especially with integrating back into and participating in their communities. To date no study has been conducted in South Africa to empirically measure community integration or to evaluate factors affecting the community integration of PLWSCI. The purpose of the study was to investigate factors influencing the community participation of PLWSCI after rehabilitation. Methodology: A cross-sectional, analytical research design employing both qualitative and quantitative approaches was used. Data collection: Phase one: Participants were identified from the databases of two rehabilitation centers, and the snow balling technique. Data were collected by implementing: the socio-demographic and injury profile (SDIP), the Return to Normal Living Index (RNLI), the Spinal Cord Injury Measure – version II (SCIM II) and the Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors – short form (CHIEF-SF). Phase two: In-depth face to face interviews were conducted with a purposely selected sample group from participants of phase one of the study to determine how participants perceive their community participation. Data Analysis: Phase one: Data were analyzed using version 17 of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 17). Descriptive statistics, T- tests, Pearson productmoment correlation coefficients and one way analysis of variance (ANOVA), with Bonferroni adjustments for multiple comparisons, was done to examine demographic characteristics and participants’ community participation. Data from Phase 2 was subjected to data-reducing procedures using qualitative techniques. Results – Phase One One hundred and sixty PLWSCI (134 males and 26 females) from the Tshwane metropolitan area participated in this phase of the study. The participants were predominantly young, male, unemployed and single and their major cause of SCI was road traffic accidents, which accounted for 71% of the injuries. The participants’ satisfaction with their community participation was generally low, only 20% expressed satisfaction with their community participation. Satisfaction with community participation was significantly associated with the participants’ race, level of education, employment, educational qualifications, years of living with SCI, level of SCI, health complications, perceived health status, functional ability and perceived environmental factors such as physical (structural and geographic) barriers and lack of transport. Results – Phase 2 Fifteen PLWSCI participated in interviews. Two themes influencing participation were identified from the interview transcripts: Personal factors (coping skills, rehabilitation experience, future aspirations, personal needs, psycho-emotional issues and meaningful use of time) and Environmental factors (attitudes of others, social support and accessibility issues). Conclusion The results of the two phases revealed that community participation of PLWSCI was mainly related to three major categories of factors: personal factors, disability-related factors and environmental factors. Satisfaction with community participation was greater in participants who had been living with SCI for longer periods, had more years of basic education, were not black Africans, lived in suburbs, and were employed. A positive outlook on life and engagement in creative activities during free time enhanced community participation. Disability-related factors included level of SCI, functional ability and perceived general health influenced satisfaction with community participation. Community participation was greater in participants who experienced fewer environmental barriers. “Attitudes of members of society”, “accessibility of the environment” and “social support” influenced the participants’ satisfaction with community participation. A framework for facilitating community participation of PLWSCI was developed. Strategies to be implemented by various multi-sectoral stakeholders to enhance community participation are proposed.p> / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Physiotherapy / Unrestricted

Thesis (DPhil (Environmental Health))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016. / Informal caregivers play an important role in the well-being of dependent members in a household. The burdens of these caregivers are multiple and pervasive and may contribute to mental health epidemiology as a result of worry, grief, anxiety and stress. The literature review revealed that studies in caregiving and its various facets began from a pragmatically applied interest rather than from theoretical and intellectual curiosity. The majority of the research on caregiver burden involves meta-analysis of qualitative studies with little quantitative research. Also, many of these studies are concentrated on caregivers of chronically ill patients, such as those suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and heart disease, without much attention to care burden resulting from caring for those who are not necessarily ill. Similar studies by other researchers did not consider the impact of the physical health of the care recipients or the environmental factors that are critical in the study of female caregiver burden in low-income settings. In addition, existing studies did not adequately evaluate the many potential factors that may vary and influence the lives of the caregivers, especially in a single, comprehensive model. This study attempted to provide a more complete picture of these relationships in low-income and culturally diverse settings. The study population consisted of black/African and coloured populations living in subsidised or low-cost housing settlements. In each of the two different cultural communities, 100 black/African and 100 coloured female caregivers were selected through a systematic random sampling procedure. In addition, data were also collected from caregivers in Tamale, Ghana to assess differences between the socio-demographic profiles of the caregivers in Cape Town, South Africa and Tamale, Ghana. The theoretical paradigm used in this study is the Stress Process Model by Pearlin et al., (1990). The study instrument assessed caregiver burden with both objective and subjective measures through the use of a fully structured questionnaire. The information that was collected according to the constructs of the Stress Process Model included personal and role strains and incorporated the physical health of the care recipients and environmental factors such as kitchen and toilet hygiene. Inclusion criteria for the respondents in both Cape Town and Tamale were the principal female caregivers who were present, willing, and able to give informed consent. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 22) was used for the analyses. The Chi-square test was used to assess the relationships between environmental health, the socio-demographics of the female caregivers and the health status of the care recipients. The hierarchical regression analysis in the form of a General Linear Model was used to model caregiving burden. iv The results showed that the majority of the female caregivers were in the age group 40 – 49 years and in both Cape Town and Tamale, a large proportion was in the low-income group. Also, the majority of the informal caregivers in the two samples were in care tasks as a full-time job, providing more than 40 hours of care per week. Regarding the length of time in caregiving, a large proportion of the caregivers in both Cape Town and Tamale had been in the care role for more than three years preceding the survey, and almost all the caregivers in the Cape Town sample (98.4%) did not use any form of caregiving programme to ameliorate the negative effects of caregiving. Further, the results showed statistically significant relationships between the socio-demographic characteristics of female caregivers (age, education, population group and income status) and the diarrhoea status of the care recipients. Also, a significant relationship was shown between environmental health variables of the home (kitchen hygiene and toilet hygiene) and the physical health of the care recipients. The major predictors of female caregiver burden in the samples were the physical health of the care recipients and access to social grants. On the basis of the analyses, it was recommended that the government should recognise the importance of the physical health of the care recipients and increase the amounts of social grants to the caregivers since this could improve the circumstances of both the caregivers and the care recipients. In addition, this could aid in improving the standard of living of caregivers in these households. Future research in similar settings should disaggregate the data to compare the burden of caring for caregivers of physically strong care recipients with physically ill care recipients.

Objectives The study aims to describe the socio-demographic characteristics, clinical outcomes of the patients in the Gauteng public sector roll-out programme and establish the association between these. There are contradictory results from international studies on these associations, in the absence of SA results. Methods This is a retrospective cohort, exploratory, secondary data, record review study and a comparison between two sites. Routinely collected socio-demographic data and clinical data were used to establish the impact of socio-demographic factors on response to HAART. This was collected for patients who enrolled from April 2004 to August 2004. Chris Hani Baragwanaath (CHB) had 494 records, Helen Joseph (HJ) had159 records collected. Exposure variables (age, sex, marital status, education level, residential area, employment, baseline viral load and baseline cd4 count). Outcome variables were (CD4 and Viral load at 3 months, 6 months and 12 months). Data Analysis T tests were used for comparing means; logistic regression was used to find the effect of ordered exposure variables and binary outcome. Chi square and fishers exact were used to find frequencies and association between the categorical variables. Regression was used to find the association between the continuous exposure variables and the continuous outcome variables. In a multivariate model, to assess the effect of the exposure variables to the outcome variables Multivariate regression was used. Statistical significance was assessed at the 5% significance level, giving 95% confidence interval. Results The majority of the patients (653) were female, African, unemployed and were literate. At CHB, at the end of the first year, three quarters were still on treatment however; just under a fifth (19%) had died. The majority responded well to treatment and had a mean baseline CD4 count of 58.9cells/mm3 (CHB) and 78.4cells/mm3 (HJ) and mean CD4 count of 245 (CHB) and 268 (HJ) after 12 months. increasing age, and being widowed, lowers the immunological response. Employment, education, sex and had no impact on response. Conclusion • There is positive virological and immunological response to HAART in Gauteng ARV roll-out programme despite the low socio economic status of the majority of the patients. • Provision of free antiretroviral drugs and access to the disability grant has assisted in mitigating the effects of HIV/ AIDS on the socio-economically disadvantaged. • The elderly and the widowed might need close monitoring as their response appears to be lower than the others. • The group with no schooling is not well represented in this sample; the question is whether the HIV/AIDS prevention messages and treatment is accessible for this group. This needs further research.

This thesis examines the relationship between childhood exposure to air pollution and long-term health. The research is based on an earlier study (1978-1986) that examined the relationship between exposure to air quality and respiratory health for a cohort of elementary school-aged children (n=3,202). These children resided in four distinct neighbourhoods in Hamilton, Ontario, which exhibited significant gradients in air pollution levels. Informed by the Life Course Health Development model, a survey was developed and administered on a reconstructed cohort (n = 395). The following objectives were addressed: 1) to determine the current health status of the reconstructed cohort; 2) to assess the potential relationship between childhood exposure to air pollution and adult respiratory health; and, 3) to explore factors mediating this relationship. Data was collected for a range of variables including residential and occupational histories, socio-demographic variables, and health outcomes. The dataset was merged with data from childhood on respiratory health, exposure to air pollution, and socio-demographic variables. Results indicate that a relatively high percentage of respondents had asthma in childhood (11%) compared to the original cohort (5.5%). In addition, prevalence rates of most health outcomes were higher than those of the Canadian population. Despite the gradient in air pollution levels, there were no significant differences in health status across neighborhoods. However, results of bi-variate and multi-variate analysis indicate possible significant associations between childhood exposure to S02 and hospital visits for asthma, asthma incidence in adulthood, and ever being diagnosed with asthma for females. For males, results suggest that childhood exposure to S02 is not linked to respiratory health. Factors related to the macro and micro environments also play significant roles in long-term health. This thesis made significant contributions to knowledge by suggesting that childhood exposure to S02 may impact long-term respiratory health for females, and may be linked to inflammatory diseases. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)