BACKGROUND: Studies of correlates of active transport to and from school (ATS) focus mainly on children, have a limited conceptualisation of ATS trips, lack heterogeneity in built environments, and rarely consider effect modifiers. This study aimed to estimate associations of parent-perceived neighbourhood environment characteristics with self-reported ATS among adolescents from 14 countries, and whether associations differ by sex, city/region, and distance to school. METHODS: Observational cross-sectional design. Data were from the International Physical activity and Environment Network (IPEN) Adolescent study and included 6302 adolescents (mean age 14.5 ± 1.7 years, 54% girls) and a caretaker from 16 diverse sites. Adolescents self-reported usual travel to and from school by walking and bicycling (days/week) and time it would take to walk. Parents completed the Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale for Youth (13 scores computed). Generalised additive mixed models estimated associations of parent neighbourhood perceptions with 1) any active transport to/from school, 2) regular walking (5-10 times/week), 3) regular cycling to/from school, and 4) profiles of ATS generated using latent profile analyses. Interactions were also explored. RESULTS: Overall, 58.7% reported any ATS, 39.9% regularly walked, 7.7% regularly cycled, and four profiles of ATS were identified: walk to and from school; walk from school; cycle to and from school; no ATS. Distance to school was negatively associated with all outcomes, though evidence was weak for regular cycling to/from school. Land use mix - diversity was positively related to all ATS outcomes except those related to cycling. Accessibility and walking facilities were associated with higher odds of any ATS, regular walking to/from school, and the profile walking to and from school. Residential density was negatively related to regular cycling to/from school. Positive associations were observed between traffic safety and any ATS, and between safety from crime, aesthetics, and odds of regular cycling to/from school. Distance to school, adolescent sex, and city moderated several associations. CONCLUSIONS: Parent perceptions of compact, mixed-use development, walking facilities, and both traffic and crime-related safety were important supportive correlates of a range of ATS outcomes among adolescents in high- and low-middle-income countries. Policies that achieve these attributes should be prioritised to support more widespread ATS.
- MeSH
- Residence Characteristics * MeSH
- Neighborhood Characteristics * MeSH
- Walking * MeSH
- Exercise * MeSH
- Bicycling MeSH
- Transportation * MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Perception MeSH
- Cross-Sectional Studies MeSH
- Parents * psychology MeSH
- Schools * MeSH
- Built Environment MeSH
- Environment Design * MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Observational Study MeSH
Public transport represents a potential site for the transmission of resistant pathogens due to the rapid movement of large numbers of people. This study aimed to investigate the bacterial contamination of frequently touched surfaces in the public transport system operating in the proximity of the biggest Czech hospital during the coronavirus pandemic despite extensive cleaning and disinfection efforts. In June and September 2020, samples from the metro trains, ground transport and stationary objects were collected, enriched and cultured. The antimicrobial susceptibility was tested by broth microdilution. Staphylococcus aureus isolates exhibiting inconclusive results of vancomycin susceptibility testing were retested by broth macrodilution and subjected to whole genome sequencing. All S. aureus isolates were tested for vancomycin heteroresistance (hVISA). A total of 513/542 (94.6 %) samples were culture-positive with higher frequency in September (p = 0.004). S. aureus was the most frequent opportunistic bacterial pathogen found (3.7 %, 20/542) followed by Enterobacterales spp. (1.8 %, 10/542). No methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producers (ESBL) or carbapenemase-producing bacteria were detected. Resistance to clinically relevant drugs was rare except for resistance to ampicillin (67 %, 8/12), cefuroxime (42 %, 5/12) in Enterobacterales and chloramphenicol (90 %, 18/20), penicillin (45 %, 9/20), and erythromycin (20 %, 4/20) in S. aureus. One S. aureus isolate was shown to be resistant to vancomycin (8 mg/L) by forming large visible cell aggregates. Population analysis profile-area under the curve ratio (PAP-AUC) testing did not confirm the hVISA phenotype, but mutations in the hVISA phenotype-related gene vraR and other genes related to cell wall synthesis (fmtB) and intercellular adhesion (sasC) were found. Our study shows that in the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the intensive use of disinfectants, public transport was a source of opportunistic bacterial pathogens including S. aureus with unusual vancomycin resistance phenotype that could be easily missed by standard susceptibility testing.
- MeSH
- Anti-Bacterial Agents * pharmacology MeSH
- COVID-19 * MeSH
- Transportation MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Microbial Sensitivity Tests * MeSH
- Pandemics MeSH
- Vancomycin Resistance MeSH
- SARS-CoV-2 * MeSH
- Staphylococcus aureus * drug effects genetics MeSH
- Vancomycin * pharmacology MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Czech Republic MeSH
Práce ukazuje přehled vývoje programů externího hodnocení kvality (EHK) v několika (cca 10) posledních letech. Hlavními tématy jsou význam komutability kontrolních vzorků, důsledky jejich omezeného používání v programech EHK, souvislost EHK s nejistotami měření, stav harmonizace a kategorizace hodnot APS (analytical performance specification).
Minireview of recent state in EQA programs based on the recent literature. Namely commutability of the control materials used, level of their international harmonization and also trends in future development.
Přehledná edukační práce o současném stavu komutability kontrolních materiálů, možnostech agregace různých programů výsledků EHK a analytických specifikací kvality v kontextu s EFLM databází biologických variabilit. Demonstrace, jak by se po použití milánského modelu změnil charakter dosavadních programů EHK a nakolik je tato změna proveditelná. Srovnání požadavků na kvalitu systémů, používajících milánského modelu se systémy již dříve etablovanými ukazuje, že různé přístupy k programům EHK a hodnotám APS vedou k rozdílům při hodnocení analytické kvality.
This work is educational minireview on current state of commutability in control materials and analytical performance specifications for external quality assessment programs. Publication of Milan model for analytical quality requirements and EFLM database of biological variation can strictly influenced characteristic of EQA programs, namely due to changes of assessment criteria assessment. These work compares programs based on Milan model and biological variation with programs based on statistic approach and shows significant differences between them, leads to differences in quality assessment.
- MeSH
- Child MeSH
- Transportation MeSH
- Middle Aged psychology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Aged psychology MeSH
- Schools MeSH
- Social Determinants of Health * MeSH
- Aging psychology MeSH
- Students MeSH
- Age Factors * MeSH
- Human Development MeSH
- Life Change Events MeSH
- Check Tag
- Child MeSH
- Middle Aged psychology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Aged psychology MeSH
- Publication type
- Review MeSH
INTRODUCTION: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) poses a substantial global health challenge, especially impacting resource-limited nations, with over 40.5 million cases reported in 2019. The crucial role of Benzathine penicillin G in both primary and secondary prevention, particularly the latter, emphasizes its significance. METHOD: Following PRISMA guidelines, our systematic review explored Medline, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Embase databases from 1990 to 2022. Registered with PROSPERO ), the review utilized quality appraisal tools, including the PRISMA checklist, Cochrane bias tool and Newcastle-Ottawa scale. The objective was to identify and stratify the impact of socio-economic factors on adherence to secondary prophylaxis in RHD. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The impact of education on adherence has been found to be significant. Socially disadvantaged environments significantly influenced adherence, shaped by education, socio-economic status, and geographical location and access to healthcare. Surprisingly, lower education levels were associated with better adherence in certain cases. Factors contributing to decreased adherence included forgetfulness, injection-related fears, and healthcare provider-related issues. Conversely, higher adherence correlated with younger age, latent disease onset, increased healthcare resources, and easy access. CONCLUSION: Patient education and awareness were crucial for improving adherence. Structured frameworks, community initiatives, and outreach healthcare programs were identified as essential in overcoming barriers to secondary prophylaxis. Taking active steps to address obstacles like long-distance commute, waiting time, injection fears, and financial issues has the potential to greatly improve adherence. This, in turn, can lead to a more effective prevention of complications associated with RHD.
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Review MeSH
To understand the environmental determinants of physical activity (PA), precise spatial localization is crucial. This cross-sectional study focuses on the spatiotemporal distribution of PA among Czech adolescents (n = 171) using Global Positioning System loggers and accelerometers. The results showed that adolescents spent most of their time in sedentary behavior, with 57.2% and 58.5% of monitored time at home and school, respectively. The park and playground had the lowest proportion of sedentary behavior but also the lowest amount of moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA). However, when considering the time spent in each domain, the highest proportion of MVPA was seen in publicly accessible playgrounds (13.3% of the time). Chi-square analysis showed that the relative distribution of different PA intensities did not differ across spatial domains. Based on these results, the authors propose 2 key strategies for increasing MVPA in adolescents: Increase the time spent in activity-supportive environments, such as parks and playgrounds, and design techniques to increase MVPA at home and school settings.
- MeSH
- Accelerometry * MeSH
- Residence Characteristics MeSH
- Adolescent Behavior psychology MeSH
- Exercise * MeSH
- Transportation methods MeSH
- Geographic Information Systems * MeSH
- Play and Playthings MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Cross-Sectional Studies MeSH
- Sedentary Behavior * MeSH
- Schools MeSH
- Parks, Recreational MeSH
- Environment Design MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Czech Republic MeSH
Introduction: Objective of this study is to describe impact of gender, age, social status, and geographic location on mobility changes during the COVID-19 pandemic within the Czechia, Hradec Kralove region, and Ostrava region.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in two regions in the Czechia: the Hradec Kralove region and the Ostrava region.Results: The age group of seniors 85 and older was more vulnerable to these alterations than other age groups. Age had a statistically significant impact on both the frequency of trips and the mode of transportation used. Seniors' shifts in mobility were more frequently impacted by urbanization, whereas the region's impact was seen in as many as five components. Transport, Route, and Time all showed the impact of urbanization. However, the region had the largest impact.Conclusion: There has been little evidence of the influence of age, gender, or social class on perceptions of changes during COVID-19. Research found conflicting evidence about older adults' physical activity throughout the epidemic.
BACKGROUND: Exposure to pathogens in public transport systems is a common means of spreading infection, mainly by inhaling aerosol or droplets from infected individuals. Such particles also contaminate surfaces, creating a potential surface-transmission pathway. METHODS: A fast acoustic biosensor with an antifouling nano-coating was introduced to detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on exposed surfaces in the Prague Public Transport System. Samples were measured directly without pre-treatment. Results with the sensor gave excellent agreement with parallel quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) measurements on 482 surface samples taken from actively used trams, buses, metro trains and platforms between 7 and 9 April 2021, in the middle of the lineage Alpha SARS-CoV-2 epidemic wave when 1 in 240 people were COVID-19 positive in Prague. RESULTS: Only ten of the 482 surface swabs produced positive results and none of them contained virus particles capable of replication, indicating that positive samples contained inactive virus particles and/or fragments. Measurements of the rate of decay of SARS-CoV-2 on frequently touched surface materials showed that the virus did not remain viable longer than 1-4 h. The rate of inactivation was the fastest on rubber handrails in metro escalators and the slowest on hard-plastic seats, window glasses and stainless-steel grab rails. As a result of this study, Prague Public Transport Systems revised their cleaning protocols and the lengths of parking times during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that surface transmission played no or negligible role in spreading SARS-CoV-2 in Prague. The results also demonstrate the potential of the new biosensor to serve as a complementary screening tool in epidemic monitoring and prognosis.
- MeSH
- COVID-19 * MeSH
- Transportation MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Pandemics prevention & control MeSH
- Respiratory Aerosols and Droplets MeSH
- SARS-CoV-2 * MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- MeSH
- Transportation MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Lung Transplantation * MeSH
- Organ Preservation * MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Newspaper Article MeSH
- News MeSH
