Comparative life cycle assessment of excreta management systems through composting and biomethanization: Case of a low-income tropical country.

Low-income tropical regions, such as Haiti, grapple with environmental issues stemming from inadequate sanitation infrastructure for fecal sludge management. This study scrutinizes on-site sanitation systems in these regions, evaluating their environmental impacts and pinpointing improvement opportunities. The focus is specifically on systems integrating excreta valorization through composting and/or anaerobic digestion. Each system encompasses toilet access, evacuation, and sludge treatment. A comparative life cycle assessment was undertaken, with the functional unit managing one ton of excreta in Haiti over a year. Six scenarios representing autonomous sanitation systems were devised by combining three toilet types (container-based toilets (CBTs), ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrines, and flush toilets (WC)) with two sludge treatment processes (composting and biomethanization). Biodigester-based systems exhibited 1.05 times higher sanitary impacts and 1.03 times higher ecosystem impacts than those with composters. Among toilet types, CBTs had the lowest impacts, followed by VIP latrines, with WCs having the highest impacts. On average, WC scenarios were 3.85 times more impactful than VIP latrines and 4.04 times more impactful than those with CBTs regarding human health impact. Critical variables identified include the use of toilet paper, wood shavings, greenhouse gas emissions, and construction materials.

Integrating in-bed gas looping and CO2 capture in the FeD-Latrine.

Sanitation equity and climate actions are world concerns stated by the United Nations in the Sustainable Development Goals. A significant source of greenhouse gas emissions is inputted by human wastes, either in developing countries through wastewater treatment plants, or in the underdeveloped world, through anaerobic digestion of fecal sludge in pit latrines. For the first time, an integrated process for CO2 reduction and capture is implemented in a thermally sustainable, latrine-like device that destroys fresh human feces using smoldering combustion, the FeD-Latrine. A gas looping oxidizes combustible gases and creates favorable conditions to capture CO2 in bed. CH4 and H2 molar fractions are decreased around 90 % and 30 %, respectively. CaO used as a sorbent captures up to 8 mmol of CO2 per gram, forming a stable CaCO3. Compared to kinetic-dominant processes for CO2 capture, we obtain an efficiency of around 52 %. Our findings show that using the FeD-Latrine to replace typical pit latrines reduces 60 % of the CO2-eq emissions.

Corpos em Disputa: Experiências de Travestis e Mulheres Trans no Acesso aos Banheiros Públicos / Disputing bodies: Experiences of Transvestites and Trans Women in Accessing Public Restrooms / Cuerpos en Disputa: Experiencias de Travestis y Mujeres Trans en el Acceso a Baños públicos

Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo e exploratório que objetiva refletir sobre experiências de travestis e mulheres trans na utilização de banheiros públicos. Utilizamo-nos dos pressupostos da pesquisa documental para a produção de dados. Para tal, consideramos o conteúdo, comentários e curtidas do vídeo intitulado "Uma mulher trans deve frequentar o banheiro feminino?", disponível na plataforma Facebook. Tomamos como lente orientadora de todo o processo interpretativo a análise do discurso. Evidenciamos alguns pontos centrais para debate: a estruturação de um sistema de classificação social que posiciona travestis e mulheres trans em categorias de periculosidade; a relação profícua estabelecida entre os sistemas de categorização e classificação social e as categorias de gênero e sexualidade enquanto organizadores da vida cotidiana e dos espaços sociais; a manutenção dos discursos que asseguram a lógica dicotômica binária e, consequentemente, a patologização das experiências de travestilidade e transexualidade; e a articulação política como estratégia que assegura, nos processos de espacialização, a superação de dinâmicas que naturalizam violências legitimadoras de interdições e segregações. Por fim, observamos como ponto de convergência de todas as análises realizadas as estratégias de manutenção da vida de travestis e mulheres trans, através da desestabilização de sistemas de opressão.

This is a qualitative and exploratory study that aims to reflect about the experiences of transvestites, transsexuals and transgender people when using public bathrooms. We used the assumptions of documental research as a way of data production. To this end, we considered the content, comments and likes of the video entitled "Uma mulher trans deve frequentar o banheiro feminino?", available on the Facebook platform. We took the discourse analysis as a guiding lens of the entire interpretive process. We pointed some central points for the debate: the structuring of a social classification system which places transvestites and trans women in dangerous categories; the fruitful relation established between the social categorization and classification systems and the gender and sexuality categories as organizers of the everyday life and the social spaces; the maintenance of discourses that ensure the binary dichotomous logic and, consequently, the pathologization of experiences of travestility and transsexuality; and the political articulation as a strategy which ensures, in spatialization processes, the overcoming of dynamics which naturalize violence that legitimizes interdictions and segregations. Finally, we observe as a point of convergence of all the analysis carried out the strategies for maintaining the life of transvestites and trans women people, through the destabilization of systems of oppression.

Este es un estudio cualitativo y exploratorio que tiene como objetivo reflexionar sobre las experiencias de travestis, transexuales y personas transgénero en el uso de baños públicos. Usamos los supuestos de la Investigación Documental para producir datos. Para ello, se consideró el contenido, comentarios y me gustas del video "Uma mulher trans deve frequentar o banheiro feminino?", de Facebook. El Análisis del Discurso fue una guía para el proceso interpretativo. Evidenciamos en el análisis que estas discusiones permean algunos debates centrales, tales como: El sistema de clasificación social, posicionando a travestis y mujeres trans en categorías peligrosas; Se establece una fructífera relación entre los sistemas de categorización y clasificación social vinculados a las cuestiones de género y sexualidad como organizadores de la vida cotidiana y de los espacios sociales; Mantenimiento de discursos que aseguren la lógica binaria y, en consecuencia, patologización de las experiencias de travestilidad y transexualidad; y la articulación política como estrategias que asegura los procesos de espacialidad, dinámicas de naturalización de las violencias que legitiman interdicciones y segregaciones. Se observó como punto de convergencia entre estos análisis realizados las estrategias de mantenimiento de la vida de travestis y mujeres trans, a través de la desestabilización de los sistemas de opresión.

Public toilets from the perspective of users: a case study in a public place, Brazil.

Public toilets are essential infrastructure to guarantee the right to sanitation in public spaces and, in more general terms, the right to inclusive and sustainable cities. Moreover, since the equipment has a direct user interface, it is important to understand their demands and needs. Given this, the present research aims to understand the perspective of public toilet users on the Pampulha Lake Shore (PLS), a public touristic place in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. For that, observations and semi-structured interviews were carried out with different public toilet users. In addition, comments posted on the Google Local Guides tool of Google Maps were used as a secondary database for understanding users' experience of PLS toilets. The analysis made it possible to identify aspects related to availability, quality (health and hygiene), security, and accessibility. Collected data showed how the conflicting choice of whether or not to use the toilet was directly related to the health and conservation of the urban equipment and interfered with social and leisure prospects. On the whole, the importance of the user's perspective was highlighted in this study with emphasis on elaborating adequate urban planning with regard to health, sanitation, and accessibility issues.

Social and Environmental Determinants of Community-Acquired Antimicrobial-Resistant Escherichia coli in Children Living in Semirural Communities of Quito, Ecuador.

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL), a family of bacteria that includes Escherichia coli, have emerged as a global health threat. This study examined risks associated with carriage of third-generation cephalosporin-resistant (3GC-R) E. coli, including ESBL-producing, multidrug-resistant, and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains in children living in semirural parishes of Quito, Ecuador. We conducted a longitudinal study with two cycles of sampling (N = 374, N = 366) that included an analysis of child fecal samples and survey questions relating to water, sanitation, and hygiene, socioeconomic status, household crowding, and animal ownership. We used multivariate regression models to assess risk factors associated with a child being colonized. Across the two cycles, 18.4% (n = 516) of the 3GC-R isolates were ESBL-producing E. coli, and 40.3% (n = 516) were XDR E. coli. Children living in households that owned between 11 and 20 backyard animals had an increased odds of being colonized with XDR E. coli (odds ratio [OR] = 1.94, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-3.60) compared with those with no animals. Households that reported smelling odors from commercial poultry had increased odds of having a child positive for XDR E. coli (OR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.11-2.66). Our results suggest that colonization of children with antimicrobial-resistant E. coli is influenced by exposure to backyard and commercial livestock and poultry. Future studies should consider community-level risk factors because child exposures to drug-resistant bacteria are likely influenced by neighborhood and regional risk factors.

SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Swabbed Samples from Latrines and Flushing Toilets: A Case-Control Study in a Rural Latin American Setting.

Information about factors potentially favoring the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in rural settings is limited. Following a case-control study design in a rural Ecuadorian village that was severely struck by the pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 RNA were detected by real-time PCR in swabs obtained from inner and upper walls in 24/48 randomly selected latrines from case-houses and in 12/48 flushing toilets from paired control-houses (P = 0.014; McNemar's test). This association persisted in a conditional logistic regression model adjusted for relevant covariates (OR: 4.82; 95% CI: 1.38-16.8; P = 0.014). In addition, SARS-CoV-2-seropositive subjects were more often identified among those living in houses with a latrine (P = 0.002). Latrines have almost five times the odds of containing SARS-CoV-2 RNA than their paired flushing toilets. Latrines are reservoirs of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, and it cannot be ruled out that latrines could contribute to viral transmission in rural settings. Frequent disinfection of latrines should be recommended to reduce the likelihood of fecal contamination.

O binarismo de gênero nas placas de banheiros em espaços públicos / Binarismo de género en las placas de baño en espacios públicos / Gender binarism on bathroom boards in public spaces

Resumo Este artigo propõe reflexões críticas acerca do binarismo masculino/feminino presente na arquitetura e nas placas identificatórias dos banheiros presentes em espaços públicos. Partindo de um referencial pós-estruturalista das teorias de gênero e diversidade sexual, tomamos como corpo de análise as placas dos banheiros que, por meio de palavras, símbolos e imagens, separam esses espaços, tendo como critério exclusivo o sexo designado ao nascimento e não à identidade autodeclarada de gênero. Nesse contexto, a ambiguidade e a fluidez presentes em corpos trans atuam como significativos elementos de denúncia dos limites normativos da classificação dos banheiros, colocando em xeque territórios legitimados socialmente como masculinos e femininos. Assim, as placas são consideradas como analisadores institucionais, pois desvelam a disputa entre forças instituintes e forças instituídas, a qual mostra que, apesar das normativas legais brasileiras, a institucionalização do reconhecimento das diversas formas de ser homem e de ser mulher ainda é objeto de tensão.

Resumen Este artículo propone reflexiones críticas sobre el binarismo masculino/femenino presente en la arquitectura y sobre las placas de los baños presentes en los espacios públicos. Partiendo de un referencial postestructuralista de teorías de género y diversidad sexual, tomamos como cuerpo de análisis las placas de los baños que, a través de palabras, símbolos e imágenes, separan estos espacios, teniendo como criterio exclusivo el sexo designado al nacer y no la identidad de género auto declarada. En este contexto, la ambigüedad y la fluidez presentes en los cuerpos trans actúan como elementos significativos de denuncia de los límites normativos de la clasificación de los baños, poniendo en jaque territorios socialmente legitimados como masculinos y femeninos. Así, las placas son consideradas como analizadores institucionales, pues revelan la disputa entre fuerzas instituyentes y fuerzas instituidas, lo que muestra que, a pesar de las normas legales brasileñas, la institucionalización del reconocimiento de las diversas formas de ser hombre y de ser mujer sigue siendo objeto de tensión.

Abstract This article proposes critical reflections on the male/female binarism present in the architecture and in the identification boards of the bathrooms in public spaces. Based on a post-structuralist framework of the theories of gender and sexual diversity, we take as body of analysis the bathroom signs that, through words, symbols and images, separate these spaces having as exclusive criterion the designated sex at birth and not the self-declared gender identity. In this context, the ambiguity and fluidity present in trans bodies act as significant elements of denunciation of the normative limits of the classification of bathrooms, putting in question socially legitimized territories as male and female. Thus, the signs are considered as institutional analyzers, because they reveal the dispute of the instituting forces and the instituted forces, which shows that, despite the Brazilian legal norms, the institutionalization of the recognition of the various forms of being a man and being a woman is still object of tension.

Moving up the Sanitation Ladder while Considering Function: An Assessment of Indigenous Communities, Pit Latrine Users, and Their Perceptions of Resource Recovery Sanitation Technology in Panama.

As households move up the sanitation ladder, health risks presumably decline but the corresponding technologies may require increasing operation and maintenance costs. One critique of the ladder is that it prioritizes technology and could be improved if it included a functional approach to monitoring, such as including aspects of environmental sustainability that consider resource recovery. Using analyses of data obtained from semi-structured interviews, surveys, and field observations, this study examines the functional transition toward improved sanitation technology as a household moves up the sanitation ladder with the added function of resource recovery (from pit latrines to composting latrines). The study took place in six indigenous Ngäbe communities in Panama. The results reveal that of 103 pit latrines studied, 88% were completed and in use, but only 35% were operated appropriately. Approximately 60% of pit latrine owners reported that they would use composting latrines, with compost as the primary perceived benefit. Barriers to adoption include lack of prior experience, user disgust of working with excrement, and the perceived amount of work required for operation. Overall, these findings indicate the importance of establishing demonstration projects and culturally aligned training for more complex sanitation technologies that enable resource recovery. The results have broad implications for understanding sanitation technology transitions in rural and indigenous settlements in other world regions.

Household spraying in cholera outbreaks: Insights from three exploratory, mixed-methods field effectiveness evaluations.

Household spraying is a commonly implemented, yet an under-researched, cholera response intervention where a response team sprays surfaces in cholera patients' houses with chlorine. We conducted mixed-methods evaluations of three household spraying programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Haiti, including 18 key informant interviews, 14 household surveys and observations, and 418 surface samples collected before spraying, 30 minutes and 24 hours after spraying. The surfaces consistently most contaminated with Vibrio cholerae were food preparation areas, near the patient's bed and the latrine. Effectiveness varied between programs, with statistically significant reductions in V. cholerae concentrations 30 minutes after spraying in two programs. Surface contamination after 24 hours was variable between households and programs. Program challenges included difficulty locating households, transportation and funding limitations, and reaching households quickly after case presentation (disinfection occurred 2-6 days after reported cholera onset). Program advantages included the concurrent deployment of hygiene promotion activities. Further research is indicated on perception, recontamination, cost-effectiveness, viable but nonculturable V. cholerae, and epidemiological coverage. We recommend that, if spraying is implemented, spraying agents should: disinfect surfaces systematically until wet using 0.2/2.0% chlorine solution, including kitchen spaces, patients' beds, and latrines; arrive at households quickly; and, concurrently deploy hygiene promotion activities.

Market integration and soil-transmitted helminth infection among the Shuar of Amazonian Ecuador.

BACKGROUND: Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections have many negative health outcomes (e.g., diarrhea, nutritional deficiencies) that can also exacerbate poverty. These infections are generally highest among low-income populations, many of which are also undergoing market integration (MI; increased participation in a market-based economy). Yet the direct impact of MI-related social and environmental changes on STH infection patterns is poorly understood, making it unclear which lifestyle factors should be targeted to better control disease spread. This cross-sectional study examines if household infrastructure associated with greater MI is associated with lower STH burdens among Indigenous Ecuadorian Shuar. METHODS: Kato-Katz fecal smears were used to determine STH infection status and intensity (n = 620 participants; 308 females, 312 males, aged 6 months-86 years); Ascaris lumbricoides (ascarid) and Trichuris trichiura (whipworm) were the primary infection types detected. Structured interviews assessing lifestyle patterns (e.g., measures of household infrastructure) measured participant MI. Multilevel regression analyses and zero-inflated negative binomial regression models tested associations between MI measures and STH infection status or intensity, controlling for individual and community characteristics. RESULTS: Participants residing in more market-integrated households exhibited lower infection rates and intensities than those in less market integrated households. Parasite infection status and T. trichiura infection intensity were lower among participants living in houses with wood floors than those with dirt floors, while individuals using well or piped water from a spring exhibited lower A. lumbricoides infection intensities compared to those using river or stream water. Unexpectedly, latrine type was not significantly related to STH infection status or intensity. These results suggest that sources of exposure differ between the two helminth species. CONCLUSIONS: This study documents associations between household measures and STH infection among an Indigenous population undergoing rapid MI. These findings can help healthcare programs better target interventions and reduce STH exposure among at-risk populations.

Having a toilet is not enough: the limitations in fulfilling the human rights to water and sanitation in a municipal school in Bahia, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: This article addresses the enjoyment of the human rights to water and sanitation (HRTWS), in particular access to toilets, in a public school in Bahia, Brazil. METHODS: Participant observation of the school's routine, focus groups with students in grades 8 and 9 of primary school (13 to 17 years old) and individual, semi-structured, interviews with members of school staff were applied, exploring access to water and sanitation by adolescent girls and boys. RESULTS: Students and school staff reported that the amount of toilets was insufficient and that their conditions were often inadequate because they were plugged or dirty. The impact on girls is greater as toilets do not offer a clean and healthy environment for menstrual hygiene management. Several elements of the normative content of the HRTWS, especially accessibility, acceptability, quality, safety and dignity, were largely not fulfilled. The study identified that, to comply with the HRTWS, it is necessary to go beyond infrastructure, as the lack of maintenance; cultural elements and student participation hinder the usage of sanitary facilities. Since schools can be privileged spaces to train critical and reflective citizens and to foster autonomy and emancipation, education oriented by human rights and citizenship is an opportunity for a more equitable society. By increasing access to social, economic and cultural rights in all phases and aspects of life, including when children and adolescents are in a school environment, people are able to enjoy better living conditions and a higher standard of health. CONCLUSIONS: The study raised the importance of considering each community's sociocultural aspects in analyzing access to sanitary facilities in schools, which are spaces where citizens' rights should be exercised and fulfilled.

Determinants of Latrine Use Behavior: The Psychosocial Proxies of Individual-Level Defecation Practices in Rural Coastal Ecuador.

There is increasing appreciation that latrine access does not imply use-many individuals who own latrines do not consistently use them. Little is known, however, about the determinants of latrine use, particularly among those with variable defecation behaviors. Using the integrated behavior model of water, sanitation, and hygiene framework, we sought to characterize determinants of latrine use in rural Ecuador. We interviewed 197 adults living in three communities with a survey consisting of 70 psychosocial defecation-related questions. Questions were excluded from analysis if responses lacked variability or at least 10% of respondents did not provide a definitive answer. All interviewed individuals had access to a privately owned or shared latrine. We then applied adaptive elastic nets (ENET) and supervised principal component analysis (SPCA) to a reduced dataset of 45 questions among 154 individuals with complete data to select determinants that predict self-reported latrine use. Latrine use was common, but not universal, in the sample (76%). The SPCA model identified six determinants and adaptive ENET selected five determinants. Three indicators were represented in both models-latrine users were more likely to report that their latrine is clean enough to use and also more likely to report daily latrine use; while those reporting that elderly men were not latrine users were less likely to use latrines themselves. Our findings suggest that social norms are important predictors of latrine use, whereas knowledge of the health benefits of sanitation may not be as important. These determinants are informative for promotion of latrine adoption.

Latent variable modeling to develop a robust proxy for sensitive behaviors: application to latrine use behavior and its association with sanitation access in a middle-income country.

BACKGROUND: Globally, diarrhea is a leading cause of child morbidity and mortality. Although latrines are integral for reducing enteric pathogen transmission, several studies have shown no evidence that latrine ownership improved child health. There are a number of explanations for these results. One explanation is that latrine access does not equate to latrine use. Latrine use, however, is difficult to accurately ascertain, as defecation behavior is often stigmatized. To address this measurement issue, we measure latrine use as a latent variable, indicated by a suite of psychosocial variables. METHODS: We administered a survey of 16 defecation-related psychosocial questions to 251 individuals living in rural Ecuador. We applied latent class analysis (LCA) to these data to model the probability of latrine use as a latent variable. To account for uncertainty in predicted latent class membership, we used a pseudo-class approach to impute five different probabilities of latrine use for each respondent. Via regression modeling, we tested the association between household sanitation and each imputed latrine use variable. RESULTS: The optimal model presented strong evidence of two latent classes (entropy = 0.86): consistent users (78%) and inconsistent users (22%), predicted by 5 of our 16 psychosocial variables. There was no evidence of an association between the probability of latrine use, predicted from the LCA, and household access to basic sanitation (OR = 1.1, 95% CI = 0.6-2.1). This suggests that home access to a sanitation facility may not ensure the use of the facility for every family member at all times. CONCLUSION: Effective implementation and evaluation of sanitation programs requires accurate measurement of latrine use. Psychosocial variables, such as norms, perceptions, and attitudes may provide robust proxy-measures. Future longitudinal studies will help to strengthen the use of these surrogate measures, as many of these factors may be subject to secular trends. Additionally, subgroup analyses will elucidate how our  proxy indicators of latrine defecation vary by individual-level characteristics.

Screening for intestinal parasites in adults from three different regions of Colombia / Tamizaje de parásitos intestinales en adultos de tres regiones de Colombia

Intestinal parasitosis (IP) is a public health problem in developing countries affecting one fourth of the global population. IP are common studied in children, ne glecting the adults that are also at high risk and source of transmission. A screening study was performed with a convenience sample in three Colombian regions: Guachené (Cauca), Quibdó (Chocó), and Urabá (Antioquia). Feces samples from 284 volunteers (older than 18 years old) were tested by microscopy to identify para site ova and cysts. The IP frequency was 14.5%, and 52.1% were males. 63.2% of the parasitized patients exhibited diarrhea, and/or abdominal pain with significant association. 39.5% had single parasitic infection and 60.5% had multiple parasites: Blastocystis hominis (63.9%), Entamoeba hystolitica/dispar (39.4%), Endolimax nana (33.3%), Ascaris lumbricoides (22.2%), Giardia lamblia (19.4%), Entamoeba coli (13.9%), Trichuris trichiura (11.1%), hookworm species (11.1%), Strongyloides stercolaris (5.6%), and Iodamoeba butschlii (2.8%). A multivariate approach was used to determine predictor factors for IP: male gender, rainwater as drinking sour ce, and feces disposal different to toilet, latrine or septic tank were positively associated with infection. This study evidences that adult population, not only children from vulnerable areas of Colombia, must have to include as a risk for intestinal parasitism.

La parasitosis intestinal (PI) es un problema de salud pública en países en desarrollo que afecta un cuarto de la población mundial. Las PI son comúnmente estudia das en niños, olvidando que los adultos están también en riesgo y a su vez pueden ser fuentes de transmisión. Se realizó un estudio de tamizaje con una muestra escogida por conveniencia en tres regiones de Colombia: Guachené (Cauca), Quibdó (Chocó) y Urabá (Antioquia). Las muestras de materia fecal de 284 voluntarios mayores de 18 años, fueron estudiadas por microscopía para identificar parásitos, huevos y quistes. La frecuencia de las PI fue del 14.5%, 52.1% de los positivos fueron hombres. 63.2% de los individuos parasitados tenían asociación significativa con diarrea, y/o dolor abdominal. 39.5% tuvieron infección por un solo parásito y 60.5% fueron positivos para varios parásitos: Blastocystis hominis (63.9%), Entamoeba hystolitica/dispar (39.4%), Endolimax nana (33.3%), Ascaris lumbricoides (22.2%), Giardia lamblia (19.4%), Entamoeba coli (13.9%), Trichuris trichiura (11.1%), Strongyloides stercolaris (5.6%), y Iodamoeba butschlii (2.8%). Se realizó un aná lisis multivariado para determinar factores predictores para PI: el género masculino, el agua lluvia para consumo, y la disposición de excretas diferente a sanitario, letrina o pozo séptico, están asociados positivamente a la PI. Este estudio evidencia que la población adulta, no solo la infantil, residentes en áreas vulnerables de Colombia, deben incluirse como población de riesgo al parasitismo intestinal.

O ambiente domiciliar e seus riscos para quedas em idosos: uma revisão integrativa da literatura / The home environment and its risks for falls in the elderly: an integrative literature review / El entorno del hogar y sus riesgos para caídas en ancianos: una revisión bibliográfica integradora

O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar os fatores de risco associados à queda de idosos em ambiente domiciliar, por meio de uma revisão integrativa, realizada nas bases de dados LILACS, MEDLINE e BDENF, no período de 2007 a 2017. Entre os fatores de risco para a queda de idosos estão: idade, utilização de medicamentos, desempenhar determinadas atividades cotidianas de vida, dentre as mais notadas: ao levantar-se da cama, subir escadas, tomar banho, presença de tapetes sem antiderrapante com ausência de barra no banheiro, e acesso difícil ao interruptor de luz, o que acaba facilitando a queda aos idosos. Diante dos resultados desta pesquisa, existe a necessidade de mais pesquisas nesta temática para, então, ampliar-se o desenvolvimento de ações preventivas e de promoção à saúde em idosos.

The objective of this study was to identify the risk factors associated with the fall of the elderly in the home environment, through an integrative review, performed in the LILACS, MEDLINE and BDENF databases, from 2007 to 2017. Among the factors of risk for the fall of the elderly are: age, use of medicines, performing certain daily activities of life, among the most noteworthy: when getting out of bed, climbing stairs, taking a bath, the presence of non-slip mats with no bar in the bathroom, and difficult access to the light switch, which makes the fall easier for the elderly. Given the results of this research, there is a need for further research on this subject to expand the development of preventive actions and health promotion in the elderly.

El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar los factores de riesgo asociados con la caída de los ancianos en el entorno del hogar, a través de una revisión integradora, realizada en las bases de datos LILACS, MEDLINE y BDENF, de 2007 a 2017. Entre los factores de Los riesgos para la caída de los ancianos son: edad, uso de medicamentos, realizar ciertas actividades diarias de la vida, entre los más notables: al levantarse de la cama, subir escaleras, bañarse, la presencia de tapetes antideslizantes sin barra en el baño y difícil acceso al interruptor de la luz, lo que facilita la caída de los ancianos. Dados los resultados de esta investigación, es necesario realizar más investigaciones sobre este tema para ampliar el desarrollo de acciones preventivas y la promoción de la salud en los ancianos.

Can Sanitation Technology Play a Role in User Perceptions of Resource Recovery? An Evaluation of Composting Latrine Use in Developing World Communities in Panama.

There remains a large unmet need for sanitation access throughout the world that compromises both human and environmental health. Opportunities exist to employ sanitation systems that better utilize and recover scarce resources from excreta such as water, energy, and nutrients. However, technologies such as a composting latrine may require more maintenance and close handling of feces compared to other sanitation technologies. This study aims to evaluate how use of on-site composting latrine technology and other demographic characteristics are associated with users' perceptions of excreta for resource recovery. Field observations and interviews of composting latrine users ( N = 201) and 200 perceptions surveys were administered to composting and non-composting latrine users in Indigenous and Latino communities in Panama. Of the completed composting latrines, 78% were in use and 65% of these were used properly. Compost latrine design and operational factors identified to improve were: anal wash capability, desiccant supply, children usage, and clogging urine tubes. Demographic categories associated with positive perceptions toward resource recovery ( p < 0.05) were ethnicity (14 out of 16 total statements) and sanitation type (11) then community origin (7), occupation (5), education (4), age (3), and gender (1).

Importance of triggers and veto-barriers for the implementation of sanitation in informal peri-urban settlements - The case of Cochabamba, Bolivia.

An estimated 2.4 billion people lack access to improved sanitation which has devastating consequences for human health and the environment. Understanding what constitute sanitation demand is crucial for accelerating the spread of improved sanitation. This study aims to understand the adoption mechanisms for improved sanitation. An informal peri-urban settlement in Cochabamba, Bolivia was selected as a case study to understand adoption patterns. Various qualitative methods of data collection and analysis were employed. The findings showed that pour-flush toilets was the only preferred sanitation alternative at the study site. An adoption framework for waterborne toilets was developed based on diffusion of innovation theory. Factors that influence adoption were identified. Some functioned as triggers and initiated adoption, whereas some factors blocked adoption and constituted veto-barriers. Most factors were connected to the individual household situation and its members, but neighborhood development also affected pour-flush adoption. Based on adoption time the residents were divided into the following adoption groups: first adopters, early majority, late majority, laggards and non-adopters. Each adoption group followed its own adoption route with specific characteristics and respective triggers or veto-barriers. We argue that the strong demand for waterborne toilets in peri-urban areas need to be recognized and the developed framework could be used for customizing sanitation improvement programs for certain target groups.

Deposition of Bacteria and Bacterial Spores by Bathroom Hot-Air Hand Dryers.

Hot-air hand dryers in multiple men's and women's bathrooms in three basic science research areas in an academic health center were screened for their deposition on plates of (i) total bacteria, some of which were identified, and (ii) a kanamycin-resistant Bacillus subtilis strain, PS533, spores of which are produced in large amounts in one basic science research laboratory. Plates exposed to hand dryer air for 30 s averaged 18 to 60 colonies/plate; but interior hand dryer nozzle surfaces had minimal bacterial levels, plates exposed to bathroom air for 2 min with hand dryers off averaged ≤1 colony, and plates exposed to bathroom air moved by a small fan for 20 min had averages of 15 and 12 colonies/plate in two buildings tested. Retrofitting hand dryers with HEPA filters reduced bacterial deposition by hand dryers ∼4-fold, and potential human pathogens were recovered from plates exposed to hand dryer air whether or not a HEPA filter was present and from bathroom air moved by a small fan. Spore-forming colonies, identified as B. subtilis PS533, averaged ∼2.5 to 5% of bacteria deposited by hand dryers throughout the basic research areas examined regardless of distance from the spore-forming laboratory, and these were almost certainly deposited as spores. Comparable results were obtained when bathroom air was sampled for spores. These results indicate that many kinds of bacteria, including potential pathogens and spores, can be deposited on hands exposed to bathroom hand dryers and that spores could be dispersed throughout buildings and deposited on hands by hand dryers.IMPORTANCE While there is evidence that bathroom hand dryers can disperse bacteria from hands or deposit bacteria on surfaces, including recently washed hands, there is less information on (i) the organisms dispersed by hand dryers, (ii) whether hand dryers provide a reservoir of bacteria or simply blow large amounts of bacterially contaminated air, and (iii) whether bacterial spores are deposited on surfaces by hand dryers. Consequently, this study has implications for the control of opportunistic bacterial pathogens and spores in public environments including health care settings. Within a large building, potentially pathogenic bacteria, including bacterial spores, may travel between rooms, and subsequent bacterial/spore deposition by hand dryers is a possible mechanism for spread of infectious bacteria, including spores of potential pathogens if present.