Associations of COVID-19 Knowledge and Risk Perception with the Full Adoption of Preventive Behaviors in Seoul.

This study explores the levels of COVID-19 knowledge, risk perception, and preventive behavior practice in Seoul, to determine whether knowledge and risk perception are significantly associated with the full adoption of preventive behaviors, for the delivery of a customized public campaign to Seoul's citizens. A total of 3000 Seoul residents participated in this study through an online questionnaire survey. They had a mean score of 84.6 for COVID-19 knowledge (range: 0-100 points) and 4.2 (range: 1-7 points) for risk perception. Of the participants, 33.4% practiced full adoption of all three preventive behaviors: hand hygiene, wearing a face mask, and social distancing; wearing a face mask was practiced the most (81.0%). Women significantly adopted these three preventive behaviors more often compared with men. Both COVID-19 knowledge and risk perception were found to be significantly associated with the full adoption of preventive behaviors; however, this association differed by the type of preventive behavior. This indicates that city-level information on the levels of COVID-19 knowledge, risk perception, and preventive behaviors should be clearly and periodically communicated among public officers and healthcare professionals to continually raise the public's awareness of the full adoption of non-pharmaceutical preventive behaviors.

Phenotype diffusion and one health: A proposed framework for investigating the plurality of obesity epidemics across many species.

We propose the idea of "phenotype diffusion," which is a rapid convergence of an observed trait in some human and animal populations. The words phenotype and diffusion both imply observations independent of mechanism as phenotypes are observed traits with multiple possible genetic mechanisms and diffusion is an observed state of being widely distributed. Recognizing shared changes in phenotype in multiple species does not by itself reveal a particular mechanism such as a shared exposure, shared adaptive need, particular stochastic process or a transmission pathway. Instead, identifying phenotype diffusion suggests the mechanism should be explored to help illuminate the ways human and animal health are connected and new opportunities for optimizing these links. Using the plurality of obesity epidemics across multiple species as a prototype for shared changes in phenotype, the goal of this review was to explore eco-evolutionary theories that could inform further investigation. First, evolutionary changes described by hologenome evolution, pawnobe evolution, transposable element (TE) thrust and the drifty gene hypothesis will be discussed within the context of the selection asymmetries among human and animal populations. Secondly, the ecology of common source exposures (bovine milk, xenohormesis and "obesogens"), niche evolution and the hygiene hypothesis will be summarized. Finally, we synthesize these considerations. For example, many agricultural breeds have been aggressively selected for weight gain, microbiota (e.g., adenovirus 36, toxoplasmosis) associated with (or infecting) these breeds cause experimental weight gain in other animals, and these same microbes are associated with human obesity. We propose applications of phenotype diffusion could include zoonotic biosurveillance, biocontainment, antibiotic stewardship and environmental priorities. The One Health field is focused on the connections between the health of humans, animals and the environment, and so identification of phenotype diffusion is highly relevant for practitioners (public health officials, physicians and veterinarians) in this field.

Dimensiones culturales sobre el Dengue en profesionales de la salud de México y Colombia / Cultural dimensions concerning healthcare workers in México and Colombia having dengue

Objetivo Comprender las dimensiones culturales del dengue en profesionales de la salud de México y Colombia. A fin de generar elementos para la formación y actualización de los éstos en la prevención y atención de dicha enfermedad. Método Estudio antropológico cognitivo. Realizado en las ciudades de Morelia, México y Santiago de Cali, Colombia. Participaron un total de 197 profesionales de salud seleccionados por muestreo propositivo. Se utilizaron las técnicas de listados libres y el sorteo de montones. Se indagaron términos asociados al concepto dengue y grupos de dimensiones conceptuales. Resultados Las concepciones culturales del dengue en los participantes de México hicieron énfasis en la prevención. Los de Colombia mostraron un lenguaje biomédico y su interés se centró en la sintomatología. En general se mostró una visión integral del dengue que incluye la visión médica y aspectos sociales interrelacionados. Conclusiones Los profesionales de la salud requieren de mayor formación en torno al tema del dengue y su prevención.

Objective Understanding cultural dimensions concerning Mexican and Colombian healthcare workers suffering from dengue to produce information and elements for healthcare and prevention. Method This was a cognitive anthropological study. Purposive sampling was used to select 197 healthcare workers in Morelia, Mexico, and Santiago de Cali, Colombia; free associations lists and pile sorting were used. Terms associated with the concept of dengue and conceptual dimension groups were investigated. Results Participants cultural conceptions regarding dengue in Mexico emphasised prevention, whilst those in Colombia concentrated on biomedical language and symptoms. Overall, a holistic vision was shown which included a medical vision and related social aspects. Conclusions Health professionals require more information about dengue and its prevention.

The Role of Epidemiology against Emerging and Reemerging Diseases / 한국역학회지

PURPOSE: Due to remarkable developments in technology and great efforts made by Health Organizations, most of infectious diseases had been under control. However, ecological changes and biological variations resulted in emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, which threaten the global health and may have the possibility of being abused as biological weapon. Therefore it is indispensable to understand the latest information and knowledge in order to cope with the emergency situation. RESULTS: In Korea, several reemerging diseases such as Malaria, Hepatitis A, Shigellosis, Mumps, and food poisoning has been increasing conspicuously since 1990. Also Diphtheria, plague, yellow fever and dengue fever have been potential threats, considering substantial international trades. CONCLUSION: There have many newly emerged and re-emerged infectious diseases identified in recent few decades in Korea. Thus as epidemiologic professionals, we have to get ready, particularly following missions to be carried out : 1) to keep eyes open to look for emerging and reemerging diseases continuously and keep up the latest global information, 2) establish the co-operational organizations to prepare immediate action against the sudden outbreak, 3) publicize, educate, establish and perform the missions, taking initiative in training clinicians, 4) upgrade professional competency by familiarizing ourselves with epidemiologic investigations, and 5) fulfill the responsibilities as health keepers of the nation.