Continuity and changes in grandchild care and the risk of depression for Chinese grandparents: new evidence from CHARLS.

Objectives: Although studies have researched the mental effects of intergenerational care, little is known about the impact of transformations in caregiving intensity on depression. This study explores grand-parents' depressive symptom outcomes in terms of changes over time in grandparental childcare, with considerations for subgroup differences. Method: Using data from the 2015-2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study on grandparents aged 45 and older, we adopted generalized estimating equations to estimate the effects of seven category changes [(1) continued to provide high-intensity or (2) low-intensity care at both waves; (3) never provided care; (4) started caregiving; (5) ended caregiving; (6) provided less intensive care; and (7) provided more intensive care] over time in grandparental childcare on depressive symptoms among 17,701 grandparents with at least one grandchild, as well as how the impact varies by gender and urban/rural areas. Results: Grandparents who decreased the intensity of care, stopped childcare, or offered continuous low-intensity care were associated with a lower level of depression compared with those providing no childcare. In addition, the benefit of continuous caregiving on mental health was especially noticeable in urban grandmothers. Conclusion: Providing continuous low-intensity, decreased-intensity grandparenting and the cessation of caregiving were associated with a decreased level of depression for Chinese grandparents; however, there were complex interactions at play. Policies aimed at supporting grandparenting should consider caregiving intensity transitions relevant to gender and urban/rural residence.

Iniciativas de autonomía alimentaria como escenarios para la acción comunitaria en salud basada en activos / Food autonomy initiatives as scenarios for community action in health based on assets

Se expone el desarrollo de un proceso territorial de acción comunitaria para la salud basada en activos, que tuvo como objetivo generar estrategias concretas para combatir el hambre y la malnutrición en un barrio popular de la ciudad de Tunja (Colombia) con altas brechas de desigualdad económica y fragmentación social. A partir de la identificación y la dinamización de diversas iniciativas de autonomías alimentarias se generó una red comunitaria que facilitó la utilización colectiva de recursos, saberes y prácticas propias alrededor del proceso agroalimentario. Con ello se promovió la accesibilidad a alimentos saludables y culturalmente legítimos, a la vez que se configuró un espacio vincular de autonomía, organización, participación y cooperación solidaria entre vecinos. Esto demuestra la potencialidad salutogénica de las acciones locales en salud y de abordar la alimentación de manera participativa, hecho que señalamos como una propuesta político-popular y académica para la promoción de la salud colectiva.(AU)

This paper presents the development of a territorial process of community action for health based on assets. Its objective was to generate concrete strategies to combat hunger and malnutrition in a working-class neighbourhood of the Colombian city of Tunja where there are significant gaps in terms of economic inequality and social fragmentation. Through the identification and dynamization of diverse initiatives of food autonomy, a community network was created which facilitated the collective use of their own resources, knowledge, and practices around the agri-food process. This promoted access to healthy and culturally accepted foods and a space where autonomy, organisation, participation, and cooperation among neighbours converged. The above shows the salutogenic potentiality of local actions in health and of approaching food in a participative way, something that we point out as a political-popular and academic proposal for the promotion of collective health.(AU)

[Food autonomy initiatives as scenarios for community action in health based on assets]. / Iniciativas de autonomía alimentaria como escenarios para la acción comunitaria en salud basada en activos.

This paper presents the development of a territorial process of community action for health based on assets. Its objective was to generate concrete strategies to combat hunger and malnutrition in a working-class neighbourhood of the Colombian city of Tunja where there are significant gaps in terms of economic inequality and social fragmentation. Through the identification and dynamization of diverse initiatives of food autonomy, a community network was created which facilitated the collective use of their own resources, knowledge, and practices around the agri-food process. This promoted access to healthy and culturally accepted foods and a space where autonomy, organisation, participation, and cooperation among neighbours converged. The above shows the salutogenic potentiality of local actions in health and of approaching food in a participative way, something that we point out as a political-popular and academic proposal for the promotion of collective health.

Challenges for building healthy food environment in an agricultural municipality in southern Brazil / Os desafios para a construção de ambientes alimentares saudáveis em um município agrícola no Sul do Brasil

ABSTRACT Objective The aim of this paper is to review the challenges for the development of healthier food environments in Palmeira da Missões, in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Methods A qualitative approach was carried out with 29 participants. Data were produced through semi-structured interviews and the content was assessed by thematic categories. Results Three main difficulties were identified for the fostering of healthier food environments in the municipality: the disconnection between consumption and food production; the fragility in the food safety regulations and finally, the disconnection between public policies and local actions for food production. Conclusion The results allow to conclude that there are weaknesses concerning the food environments in Palmeira das Missões, which imply challenges for the fostering of healthy eating and, at the same time, a need for more effective articulation and local action.

RESUMO Objetivo Este trabalho analisou os desafios para a construção de ambientes alimentares mais saudáveis em Palmeira da Missões, no Rio Grande do Sul. Métodos Foi realizada uma pesquisa de abordagem qualitativa, que contou com a participação de 29 interlocutores. Os dados foram produzidos por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas as quais foram analisadas através da avaliação análise de conteúdo por categorias temáticas. Resultados Foram identificadas três principais dificuldades para a promoção de ambientes alimentares mais saudáveis no município: a desconexão entre consumo e produção de alimentos; a fragilidade na legislação higiênico-sanitária dos alimentos; e por último, a desarticulação entre políticas públicas e ações locais para a produção de alimentos. Conclusão Os resultados permitem concluir que há fragilidades em relação aos ambientes alimentares em Palmeira das Missões, os quais implicam desafios para a promoção da alimentação saudável e, ao mesmo tempo, necessidade de articulação e atuação local mais efetiva.

Does It Matter Where You Live? Rural-Urban Context Among Women Entrepreneurs in Pakistan.

Entrepreneurship is considered as one of the strategies for economic and regional development. In particular, women entrepreneurs engaged in different geographic locations, where their characteristics and business factors are different in each location. This study examines home-based women entrepreneurs in Pakistan in relation to their place of residence, specifically rural or urban context. Very few studies have considered place of residence as a variable affecting women's businesses at the household level. This is critical since the business context can exert a major influence on available resources and constraints that affect business viability and sustainability. Data were collected from 504 women entrepreneurs using a survey questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and binary logistics regression were used to achieve the objectives of the study. The findings revealed important and significant differences based on the rural versus urban context of women entrepreneurs including home ownership, household size, the number of adult family members in the household, family financial position, business record keeping, having a bank account, and type of business. While the binary logistic regression analysis reported adult family members, family financial position, business record keeping, bank account, and beautician business were the significant predictors of the women entrepreneurs' rural-urban model. The findings offer implications for policymakers, funders, bank/financial institutions, and non-governmental organizations for increasing women's entrepreneurship, empowerment, and income equality in developing countries.

Sustainable design of pavement systems in highly urbanized context: A lifecycle assessment.

Substantial amount of resources is consumed by pavement systems, which have resulted considerable environmental impacts. Understanding the environmental impacts would provide opportunity for reducing resource consumption and informing decision-makers in the process of designing sustainable pavement. There is a lacking of comprehensive and comparative sustainability assessment of pavement systems in highly urbanized context currently. Therefore, this study aims to design and comprehensively evaluate the environmental performance of the commonly adopted pavement systems in highly urbanized context using lifecycle assessment (LCA) technique through a case in Hong Kong. According to the codes and practices of Hong Kong, two pavement systems including flexible and rigid pavements were designed based on the same road section. After that interviews with structured questionnaire were conducted to collect relevant practical information of pavement construction and maintenance from the relevant professional bodies and experts for the subsequent LCA of such designs. The LCA results reveal that the two mid-point impacts of global warming potential and mineral extraction are 21% and 54% higher for rigid pavement than for flexible pavement. Yet, the end-point results indicate that flexible pavement is associated with 64%, 65%, and 69% higher human health impact, ecosystem quality damage, and resource damage, respectively. Material production and transportation contribute significantly to the total impact in the two pavement systems. For instance, it is about 57% and 97% of the total global warming potential for flexible and rigid pavements, respectively. The overall results demonstrated that 49% higher total impact was found for flexible pavement than rigid pavement. Therefore, the use of more recycled and environmentally friendly materials can potentially enhance the environmental sustainability of both pavement systems. The findings should provide useful information to the design and selection of sustainable pavement structures in resource-scarce highly-urbanized cities.

Contextual influences on chronic illness: A multi-level analysis in the twin cities of Ramallah and Al Bireh in the occupied Palestinian Territory.

The features of the urban environment can support human health as well as harm it, but less is known about such influences in the context of middle eastern countries. The association between green space and the political classifications of the urban environment and the risk of chronic illness was investigated in a novel setting, the twin cities of Ramallah and Albireh in the occupied Palestinian territory. We used a generalised multi-level regression analysis to link the 2017 census data with Geographic Information System data. We modelled individuals at level one (n = 54693) and areas of residence at level two (n = 228), adjusting for individual demographic and socio-economic characteristics. The proportions of 'mixed' trees in residential areas had a significant inverse association with the risk of chronic illness. On the political dimension, only living in a refugee camp had a significant positive association with chronic illness; however, this was largely explained and rendered non-significant when green space variables were entered into the models. Our ability to differentiate between several types of green space was important, as findings demonstrated that not all types were associated with reduced risk of chronic illness. Our results from a middle eastern setting add to the largely Western existing evidence, that trees in urban settings are important and beneficial to human health. Researchers and policymakers should pay more attention to the health consequences of refugee camps but also the role of trees in benefiting individuals' health in such a disadvantaged context.

Corrigendum: Risks for Child Cognitive Development in Rural Contexts.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02735.].

Outcomes for Youth Living in Canada's First LGBTQ2S Transitional Housing Program.

This article offers descriptive and evaluative data for the first cohort of youth who lived in Canada's first transitional housing program for LGBTQ2S youth, operated by the YMCA of Greater Toronto. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to report on how youth experienced living in an LGBTQ2S population-based housing program in relation to mental health, self-esteem, community participation and family connectedness, and how access to culturally competent services impact experiences of homelessness. The outcomes of this study are important for service providers, program managers, and policymakers to review in order to better understand how LGBTQ2S youth experience population-based housing programs and whether or not they positively impact their transition to adulthood. Although this study took place in Toronto, Canada, it has broader relevance nationally and internationally, and can be used to build the evidence base to guide the improvement, development, and evaluation of future LGBTQ2S housing services for youth.

Study of COVID-19 pandemic in London (UK) from urban context.

COVID-19 transmission in London city was discussed in this work from an urban context. The association between COVID-19 cases and climate indicators in London, UK were analysed statistically employing published data from national health services, UK and Time and Date AS based weather data. The climatic indicators included in the study were the daily averages of maximum and minimum temperatures, humidity, and wind speed. Pearson, Kendall, and Spearman rank correlation tests were selected for data analysis. The data was considered up to two different dates to study the climatic effect (10th May in the first study and then updated up to 16th of July in the next study when the rest of the data was available). The results were contradictory in the two studies and it can be concluded that climatic parameters cannot solely determine the changes in the number of cases in the pandemic. Distance from London to four other cities (Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, and Sheffield) showed that as the distance from the epicentre of the UK (London) increases, the number of COVID-19 cases decrease. What should be the necessary measure to be taken to control the transmission in cities have been discussed.

Nonvisual aspects of spatial knowledge: Wayfinding behavior of blind persons in Lisbon.

Blind individuals' wayfinding performance in complex urban environments is a complex phenomenon. This study investigates the wayfinding strategies of congenitally blind individuals in an urban context. The aim of the study was to assess the extent to which the environmental auditory cues are of primary importance for their wayfinding strategies. The study was conducted in Lisbon, Portugal. Results suggest that auditory information was the most used environmental cue and that a feeling of enclosure is the most important environmental feature during wayfinding. These results corroborate previous findings suggesting that increased familiarity with the environment results in more efficient wayfinding strategies, and that lack of environmental auditory cues could be compensated by a robust cognitive map. The study highlights multidimensional sensory experiences of urban environments and nonvisual aspects of spatial perception.

So Much to Do Before I Sleep: Investigating Adolescent-Perceived Barriers and Facilitators to Sleep.

Adolescent sleep deprivation is a pressing public health issue in the United States as well as other countries. The contexts of adolescents' lives are changing rapidly, but little is known about the factors that adolescents themselves believe affect their sleep. This study uses a social-ecological framework to investigate multiple levels of perceived influence on sleep patterns of urban adolescents. Data were drawn from interviews and surveys conducted in three California public high schools. Most participants identified homework as their primary barrier to sleep, particularly those engaged in procrastinating, multitasking, or those with extracurricular demands. Results indicate that the home context has important implications for adolescent sleep, including noise, household rules, and perceived parent values. These findings identify important areas for future research and intervention, particularly regarding the roles of parents.

Exposures at day labor corners: using existing georeferenced data to describe features of urban environments.

PURPOSE: Latino day laborers are male immigrants from mainly Mexico and Central America who congregate at corners, that is, informal hiring sites, to solicit short-term employment. Studies describing the occupational environment of Latino day laborers traditionally measure jobsite exposures, not corner exposures. We sought to elucidate exposures at corners by describing their demographic, socioeconomic, occupational, business, built, and physical environmental characteristics and by comparing corner characteristics with other locations in a large urban county in Texas. METHODS: We used multiple publicly available data sets from the U.S. Census, local tax authority, Google's Nearby Places Application Programming Interface, and Environmental Protection Agency at fine spatial scale to measure 34 characteristics of corners with matched comparison locations. RESULTS: Corners were located close to highways, high-traffic intersections, hardware and moving stores, and gas stations. Corners were in neighborhoods with large foreign-born and Latino populations, high rates of limited English proficiency, and high construction-sector employment. CONCLUSIONS: Publicly available data sources describe demographic, socioeconomic, occupational, business, built, and physical environment characteristics of urban environments at fine spatial scale. Using these data, we identified unique corner-based exposures experienced by day laborers. Future research is needed to understand how corner environments may influence health for this uniquely vulnerable population.

"Running Trains" and "Sexing-In": The Functions of Sex Within Adolescent Gangs.

Gang members are exposed to unique sexual risks, yet little work has explored the influence of gang social norms. This study examines the functions and meanings of sex within gangs, with a specific focus on the ways in which sex is used to reinforce gang membership and norms, gender roles, and group cohesion. We conducted 58 semi-structured interviews with adolescent members of six gangs. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis and constant comparative method in MAXQDA. Sexual risk behaviors within gangs are upheld and reinforced through unspoken norms and expectations. These high-risk sexual practices increase group cohesion and reinforce gender norms and power differences. Despite the prevalence of such practices, many gang members felt regret and remorse over their participation but noted it was just part of "the life." Our findings highlight the need for interventions to address the norms of the gang that reinforce sexual risk behavior.

Food insufficiency is associated with depression among street-involved youth in a Canadian setting.

OBJECTIVE: Food insufficiency, defined by the experience of hunger, is known to be prevalent and a source of health-related harm among-street involved youth, but little is known about its relationship with depression in this population. Therefore, we sought to assess the association between food insufficiency and symptoms of depression among a cohort of street-involved youth. DESIGN: Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between food insufficiency, defined as being hungry but not having enough money to buy food, and depression as measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) scale. SETTING: Data from April 2006 to November 2013 were derived from the At-Risk Youth Study (ARYS), a prospective cohort of street-involved youth who use illicit drugs in Vancouver, Canada. SUBJECTS: There were 1066 street-involved youth enrolled in the study, including 340 (31·9 %) females. RESULTS: Of 1066 youth enrolled in the study, 724 (67·9 %) reported some food insufficiency and 565 (53·0 %) met criteria for depression. Compared with youth who did not report food insufficiency, those who reported often experiencing food insufficiency had a higher likelihood of reporting depression (adjusted OR=2·52; 95 % CI 1·74, 3·67), as did those who reported sometimes experiencing food insufficiency (adjusted OR=1·99; 95 % CI 1·47, 2·70). CONCLUSIONS: Food insufficiency was prevalent and associated in a dose-dependent trend with symptoms of depression among street-involved youth in our setting. Findings highlight the need to address the nutritional and mental health needs of youth and identify pathways by which food insufficiency may contribute to depression among vulnerable populations.

Práticas de educação dos filhos em contexto não urbano / Child-rearing practices in non-urban context / Prácticas de educación de los hijos en contexto no urbano

Este estudo investigou as práticas de educação dos filhos, com base no relato de mães, em um contexto não urbano. Participaram 30 mães de crianças com idade entre 4 e 30 meses. Como instrumento, foi utilizada uma entrevista semiestruturada que abordava questões relativas aos cuidados diários que as mães apresentavam com os filhos, atividades desenvolvidas na interação mãe-criança e as práticas de controle do comportamento infantil. Os resultados da entrevista foram considerados por meio da análise de conteúdo. De uma forma geral, esses resultados apontaram a preocupação das mães com os cuidados básicos na educação dos filhos, interações lúdicas no cotidiano mãe-criança e o uso do diálogo como estratégia de controle do comportamento da criança. Considera-se que as práticas de educação dos filhos relacionam-se, de forma bidirecional, com as características da criança e dos pais, assim como do contexto sociocultural em que estão inseridos.

This study investigated child-rearing practices based on mothers’ reports in a non-urban context. 30 mothers of children aged from 4 to 30 months took part in this study. A semi-structured interview was applied with questions concerning the daily care mothers had with their children, activities carried out within the mother-child interaction and practices used to keep control of child behaviors. Results were studied using the analysis of content. In general, these results indicated mothers’ concern towards basic care in their child education, ludic interactions in the mother-child routine and the use of dialogue as a strategy to control the child behavior. It is considered that child-rearing practices are related, in a bidirectional way, to the child’s and parents’ characteristics, as well as to the socio-cultural context in which they live.

Este estudio investigó las prácticas de educación de los hijos, con base en los relatos de las madres en un contexto no urbano. Participaron 30 madres de niños de 4 a 30 meses. Como instrumento se utilizó una entrevista semiestructurada donde se trataron temas relacionados con el cuidado diario que las madres tenían con sus hijos, las actividades desarrolladas en la interacción madre-hijo y las prácticas de control de la conducta del niño. Los resultados de las entrevistas se analizaron mediante análisis de contenido. En general, estos resultados indican la preocupación de las madres con los cuidados básicos en la educación de sus niños, interacciones lúdicas en la relación cotidiana madre-hijo y el uso del diálogo como estrategia de control de la conducta del niño. Se considera que las prácticas de educación de los hijos se relacionan bidireccionalmente con las características del niño y los padres, así como del contexto socio-cultural en el que viven

Risks for Child Cognitive Development in Rural Contexts.

While poverty all over the world is more typical and extreme in rural contexts, interventions to improve cognition in low socioeconomic status (SES) children are for the most part based on studies conducted in urban populations. This paper investigate how poverty and rural or urban settings affect child cognitive performance. Executive functions and non-verbal intelligence performance, as well as individual and environmental information was obtained from 131 5-year-old children. For the same level of SES, children in rural settings performed consistently worse than children in urban settings. These differences could be accounted mostly by the months of past preschool attendance and the father's completed level of education. These results should inform policies and programs for children living in rural poverty worldwide, and specially in Latin America.

Knowledge and possession of take-home naloxone kits among street-involved youth in a Canadian setting: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The distribution of take-home naloxone (THN) kits has been an important strategy in reducing overdose fatalities among people who use drugs. However, little is known about the use of THN among youth who are street-involved. The present study explores knowledge and possession of THN among street-involved youth in a Canadian setting. METHODS: Data were derived from the At-Risk Youth Study (ARYS), a prospective cohort of street-involved youth age 14-28 at enrollment in Vancouver, Canada. Participants completed a standardized questionnaire, which included items related to knowledge and possession of THN, sociodemographic characteristics, and substance use-related factors. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify factors independently associated with knowledge and possession of THN. RESULTS: Between December 2014 and November 2016, 177 youth were interviewed, including 68 females (38.4%). While 126 (71.2%) participants reported knowledge of THN, only 40 (22.6%) possessed a THN kit. Caucasian/white ethnicity was found to be positively associated with both knowledge and possession of THN (both p < 0.05). Public injection drug use in the last 6 months was found to be positively associated with knowledge of THN, while daily heroin use and daily methamphetamine use were associated with possession of THN (all p < 0.05). Male gender was negatively associated with possession of THN (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight important gaps between knowledge and possession of THN among youth and the need to increase participation in THN programs among specific populations including non-white and male youth. Further research is needed to gain a better understanding of the barriers that may prevent certain youth from acquiring THN kits.

Exploring the safety in numbers effect for vulnerable road users on a macroscopic scale.

A "Safety in Numbers" effect for a certain group of road users is present if the number of crashes increases at a lower rate than the number of road users. The existence of this effect has been invoked to justify investments in multimodal transportation improvements in order to create more sustainable urban transportation systems by encouraging walking, biking, and transit ridership. The goal of this paper is to explore safety in numbers effect for cyclists and pedestrians in areas with different levels of access to multimodal infrastructure. Data from Chicago served to estimate the expected number of crashes on the census tract level by applying Generalized Additive Models (GAM) to capture spatial dependence in crash data. Measures of trip generation, multimodal infrastructure, network connectivity and completeness, and accessibility were used to model travel exposure in terms of activity, number of trips, trip length, travel opportunities, and conflicts. The results show that a safety in numbers effect exists on a macroscopic level for motor vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists.

Pobreza multidimensional e seus aspectos subjetivos em contextos rurais e urbanos nordestinos / Multidimensional poverty and its subjective aspects in rural and urban contexts in Northeast Brazil / Pobreza Multidimensional y sus aspectos subjetivos en contextos rurales y urbanos de Nordeste

Resumo Objetiva-se analisar a pobreza multidimensional e seus aspectos subjetivos em contextos rural e urbano em um Estado do Brasil. Os aspectos subjetivos da pobreza estão relacionados a uma autopercepção vinculada à privação financeira e à responsabilização individual. A amostra total constou de 417 participantes. Foi desenvolvido um Índice de Mensuração de Pobreza Multidimensional a partir das privações nas dimensões habitação, escolaridade, trabalho/renda, saúde e aspectos subjetivos da pobreza. Foram realizados testes de Análise de Regressão Múltipla e Análise Multivariada de Variância. Identificou-se que as privações nas dimensões escolaridade e habitação são mais intensas na zona rural. Já a dimensão subjetiva da pobreza é mais forte no contexto urbano. Em ambos os contextos, dimensão privação de trabalho/renda tem predição positiva com os aspectos subjetivos da pobreza. No contexto urbano, as dimensões saúde e habitação também são preditoras positivas da dimensão subjetiva da pobreza, enquanto a dimensão educação tem uma correlação negativa.

Abstract The objective is to analyze the multidimensional poverty and its subjective aspects in rural and urban contexts in a State of Brazil. The total sample consisted of 417 participants. It was set up the Measurement Index of the Multidimensional Poverty from deprivation in housing , education, work/income, health dimensions and subjective aspects of poverty. Multiple Regression Analysis and Multivariate Analysis of Variance were performed. It was found that the deprivations in the education and housing dimensions are more intense in the countryside. The subjective dimension of poverty is stronger in the urban context. In both contexts, deprivation of work/income dimension has positive prediction with the subjective aspects of poverty. In the urban context, health and housing dimensions are also positive predictors of subjective dimension of poverty, while the education is has a negative correlation.

Resumen El objetivo es analizar la pobreza multidimensional y sus aspectos subjetivos en contextos rurales y urbanos en un Estado del Brasil. El total de la muestra consistió en 417 participantes. Se ha creado un índice de medición de pobreza multidimensional por medio de las privaciones en las dimensiones de la vivienda, la educación, el trabajo/ingreso, la salud y los aspectos subjetivos de la pobreza. Las pruebas se realizaron en el Análisis de Regresión Múltiple y Análisis Multivariado de Varianza. Se constató que las variaciones en las dimensiones de la educación y la vivienda son más intensas en el campo. La dimensión subjetiva de la pobreza es más fuerte en el contexto urbano. En ambos contextos, la privación de la dimensión trabajo/ingreso cuenta con la predicción positiva con los aspectos subjetivos de la pobreza. En el contexto urbano, las dimensiones salud y vivienda son también predictores positivos de la dimensión subjetiva de la pobreza, mientras que la educación tiene una correlación negativa.