Pediculosis among urban and rural school children in Kumba, Meme division, south-west Cameroon

Pediculosis is an important and common health problem in both urban and rural areas of Kumba. Out of a total of 2,312 children examined (1,462 urban and 850 rural), there was a rather disquieting overall infestation rate of 31.6% in the urban and 32.6% in the rural schools, respectively, and there was a much higher incidence of infestation among girls (36.3% urban, 35.1% rural) than boys (26.9% urban, 30.0% rural). Pubic infestation was more rampant among girls aged 13-15 years (0.3%) than boys (0.1%) of the same age-group, an age which coincides with the characteristic pubertal development of pubic hair. There was a higher incidence of lice infestation in the 9-12 year age-group (33.6% urban, 33.3% rural) than in both the 5-8 year age-group (29.3% urban, 31.6% rural) and the 13-18 year age-group (31.1% urban, and 31.7% rural). Given the nature of Cameroonian society with its African extended family system and its peculiar hospitality traits, it was not possible to correlate socioeconomic status of the children with their infestation rates. Additionally, the schools studied were not class-oriented thus social mixing occurred. Body hygiene has become a mere theoretical exercise in today's schools. Children are neither closely monitored for body cleanliness nor expelled for scandalously poor and unkempt hair and clothing. Inspection of children must be stepped up in order to improve these declining health standards.     

Epidemiologic studies on allergic diseases among rural and urban school children in Poland

451 rural children (group I) and 2000 urban children (group II) aged 10-16 years from Toruń province were inquired by a questionnaire to their parents or guardians. 9.09% of children in the country and 13.45% of those living in the city of Toruń suffered from hypersensitivity disorders; bronchial asthma was reported in 2.22% and 3.05% of cases, allergic rhinitis--in 3.77% and 7.15%, allergic conjunctivitis--in 1.33% and 2.75%, allergic edema--in 0.44% and 0.60%, urticaria--in 1.55% and 3.50%, and infantile eczema--in 0.44% and 2.10% of cases, respectively. The pollinosis prevalence rate was 2.00% in group I and 1.85% in group II. At least 2 various forms of hypersensitivity coexisted in 30.48% of allergic urban children (64.86% of patients with pollinosis among them); infantile eczema preceded allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma symptoms in 6.29% and 11.47% of cases, respectively, while allergic rhinitis occurred before the onset of bronchial asthma in 24.59% of asthmatic children. 37.10% of individuals with positive family history of allergic conditions also fell ill with some diseases of this nature, while in those with negative family history allergy occurred only in 10.22% of cases. From environmental factors mother's diseases during pregnancy, bottle feeding and a regular diet during the first year of life, frequent respiratory infections in the early childhood and poor living conditions increased the risk of allergic diseases or aggravated their course in the population examined.     

Sleep patterns and sleep problems in a sample of Spanish schoolchildren

Sleep and Biological Rhythms - Sleep in children is essential for growth, emotional health and cognitive function. Although it has been described that poor sleep can seriously affect learning...     

Social mixing patterns in rural and urban areas of southern China

A dense population, global connectivity and frequent human–animal interaction give southern China an important role in the spread and emergence of infectious disease. However, patterns of person-to-person contact relevant to the spread of directly transmitted infections such as influenza remain poorly quantified in the region. We conducted a household-based survey of travel and contact patterns among urban and rural populations of Guangdong, China. We measured the character and distance from home of social encounters made by 1821 individuals. Most individuals reported 5–10 h of contact with around 10 individuals each day; however, both distributions have long tails. The distribution of distance from home at which contacts were made is similar: most were within a kilometre of the participant''s home, while some occurred further than 500 km away. Compared with younger individuals, older individuals made fewer contacts which tended to be closer to home. There was strong assortativity in age-based contact rates. We found no difference between the total number or duration of contacts between urban and rural participants, but urban participants tended to make contacts closer to home. These results can improve mathematical models of infectious disease emergence, spread and control in southern China and throughout the region.     

Different patterns of intestinal helminth infection among young workers in urban and rural areas of Alexandria Governorate, Egypt.

The process of urbanisation taking place in most developing countries is creating favourable conditions for an increase in prevalence of infections, especially with intestinal parasites, in the marginal areas of the towns. The present study was implemented in 1996 to assess the varying prevalence and intensity of infection among young workers in urban and rural areas of the same Governorate (Alexandria, Egypt). The sample comprised 408 male subjects, 8 to 19 years of age, in various occupations: 308 from urban areas, 67 from an industrialised village close to the desert, and 33 from a rural village. A quantitative diagnosis of intestinal helminth infections was made using the Kato-Katz technique, with a double reading of each slide. The results showed a higher prevalence (> 50%) and intensity of infection (indirectly measured as number of eggs per gram of faeces) than in previous studies. Furthermore, a higher prevalence and intensity of infection with Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura was detected in urban districts, as compared to rural areas. This difference was statistically significant. High crowding index, latrine shared with other families and no piped water inside the household, were more common in urban areas as compared with rural settlements and also associated with a higher intensity of infection by soil-transmitted helminths. The trend toward urbanisation seems to have caused deterioration of living conditions and sanitation standards in some areas of Alexandria city, with the most vulnerable people experiencing an increase in intestinal parasitic infections.     

Prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis infection and preventive effects of mass treatment among children in rural and urban areas, and children in orphanages]

An epidemiological study and mass treatments of Enterobius vermicularis infection among children near Wonju area of Kangwon province were carried out. The children were divided into 4 groups according to their residing localities; children in the mountainous area, rural area, urban area and in orphanage. They were examined by adhesive cellotape anal swab technique, and egg positive rates were obtained. The rates of egg reduction and re-infection rates after repeated mass treatments were also observed. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The overall egg positive rate of E. vermicularis in the first screening was 19.9% (251 out of 1,262 examinees; 19.7% in males and 20.1% in females). The positive rates were 13.0% in the mountainous area, 11.9% in the rural area, 15.1% in the urban (medium-sized) area and 61.9% in orphanages. 2. The highest positive rates were observed in the kindergarten children, and 1st and 2nd grade children of primary schools (26.2-32.2%), and the lowest rate (13.6%) in 6-year grade children of primary schools. 3. Cumulative detection rates from 3 repeated anal swabs at 4-5 days interval were higher (70.8%) than those from single anal swabs (50.0-59.2%). 4. Out of the examinees who showed the highest cumulative positive rate (70.8%), about 39.2% were consecutively positive in 3 anal swabs. Among different groups of children, the higher the total egg detection rates (87.5%), the higher the consecutive positive rates (71.9%). 5. A total of 2,609 (male: female = 1:12.4) worms were collected from 17 egg-positive cases treated with anthelmintics. The mean number of worms per child was 153 (range: 4-824).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Intestinal helminthiases and schistosomiasis among school children in an urban center and some rural communities in southwest Nigeria

Intestinal helminths and schistosomiasis among school children were investigated in an urban and some rural communities of Ogun State, southwest Nigeria. Fecal samples of 1,059 subjects (524 males, 535 females) aged 3-18 years were examined using direct smear and brine concentration methods between June 2005 and November 2006. The pooled prevalence of infection was 66.2%. Ascaris lumbricoides showed the highest prevalence (53.4%) (P < 0.001) followed by hookworms (17.8%), Trichuris trichiura (10.4%), Taenia sp. (9.6%), Schistosoma mansoni (2.3%), Strongyloides stercoralis (0.7%), Schistosoma haematobium (0.6%), and Enterobius vermicularis (0.3%). The prevalences of A. lumbricoides, hookworms, Taenia sp., S. mansoni, and S. stercoralis in the urban centre were similar (P > 0.05) to those in the rural communities. The fertile and infertile egg ratios of A. lumbricoides in the urban centre and the rural communities were 13: 1 and 3.7: 1, respectively. Each helminth had similar prevalences among both genders (P > 0.05). The prevalence of A. lumbricoides increased significantly with age (P < 0.001). The commonest double infections were Ascaris and hookworms, while the commonest triple infections were Ascaris, hookworms, and Trichuris. The study demonstrates the need for urgent intervention programmes against intestinal helminthiases and schistosomiasis in the study area.     

Sleep disturbances and correlates among a sample of preschool children in rural China

Sleep and Biological Rhythms - This study aimed to explore the prevalence of sleep disturbances among preschool children in rural areas of China and identify the underlying associated factors. A...     

Sleep habits of Iranian pre-school children in an urban area: Late sleeping and sleep debt in children

Using BEARS (Bedtime problems, Excessive sleepiness, Awakenings during the night, Regularity of sleep, Snoring), and CSHQ (Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaires) screening tools with 224 participants revealed that Iranian children have shorter night sleep duration than expected (9.54 vs 12 h) for their age group. Earlier sleepers had longer night sleep duration (10:36 ± 1:12; 9:12 ± 1:06 h, P > 0.001), and total daily sleep time (11:36 ± 1:42; 10:36 ± 1:30 h, P = 0.005) than late sleepers. A majority (85%) of naptakers had sleep bedtime of 22:00 or later. The poor sleep quality of Iranian preschool children is probably due to cultural characteristics, climate differences, or harmful sleep habits.

     

Sleep patterns and sleep disorders among female shift workers in a computer factory of Japan

Using a repeated questionnaire survey for female workers in a computer factory of Japan, consisting of 45 daytime workers and 84 weekly rotating shift workers (of whom 40 and 44 were respectively engaged in early-shift work and late-shift work during the survey week), the present study aimed to clarify the effects of shift work on their sleep patterns and sleep disorders. The time of retiring, time of rising, duration of sleep, and self-evaluated sleep quality based on four sleep-related problems were investigated for four days (Sunday-Monday, Tuesday-Wednesday, Thursday-Friday, and Saturday-Sunday) in a week. The intergroup comparison revealed that the earlier the rising time and the shorter the duration of sleep, the lower the sleep quality; the lowest sleep quality was observed in the early-shift workers.     

Sleep bruxism and its relationship to sleep habits and lifestyle of elementary school children in Japan

Sleep and Biological Rhythms - This cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the influence of sleep habits, sleep problems, and lifestyle on sleep bruxism in Japanese elementary school...     

Study of infectious conjunctivitis among children in rural areas of Qinghai province

Infectious conjunctivitis is no longer a common eye disease in cities and developed areas, but in remote mountainous regions of China where living conditions are relatively under-developed, the occurrence of infectious conjunctivitis remains a public health issue. Here, we evaluate the ratio of infectious conjunctivitis among primary school students in the rural areas of Xunhua, Huangyuan, and Huzhu Counties in the Qinghai province of China, and report the microorganisms involved in causing infection. Of the 765 eligible primary school students, 694 participated to this study(a response rateof 90.7%), 381 boys and 313 girls, with a mean age of 7.52 years(range 7–9 years). A clinical diagnosis of infectious conjunctivitis was returned for 238 of the 694 children examined. The ratio of infectious conjunctivitis in Xunhua County(46.64%) was higher compared to that in Huangyuan(26.67%; P=0.03) and Huzhu Counties(23.61%; P=0.02). The leading cause of conjunctivitis was bacterial, followed by chlamydial and viral. Our results show that there is a high ratio of infectious conjunctivitis among rural primary school students in Qinghai province.     

The prevalence of head louse infestation among urban and rural children in Korea

The prevalence of head louse (Pediculus hamanus var. capitis) infestation in preschool and school children in 9 urban and 8 rural areas of Korea, was investigated. Of 11,865 children who were examined for head lice and nits, 2,900(24.4%) were found infested. The over-all infestation rate of rural children, 58.9%, was higher than that of urban children, 14.4%. There also existed significant differences in the infestation rate among various regions of urban as well as rural areas. Females were more infested than males. But there was no differences in infestation rate in either sex of preschool age. The infestation rate increased gradually from the age of 6, reached a plateau between 9-12 years of age and thereafter slowly decreased. The infestation rate of an orphanage children was higher than that of general childhood population. Health education and mass-delousing attempt are urgently required to lower such a high prevalence of head louse infestation in Korea.     

城市土壤质量演变及其生态环境效应

城市化是人类活动影响下自然生态系统向人工生态系统的急剧变化形式,它引起一系列生态环境条件的改变。城市对土壤资源的数量和质量产生深刻的影响,包括土壤地表封闭引起的土壤生态功能彻底消失,土壤物理性质恶化,土壤形态学特征和演变过程深受人为作用的影响。短程变异增加而总体多样性降低,土壤污染加剧,土壤养分富集等多方面,城市过程中土地利用变化对土壤产生一系列生态环境效应,如养分径流输出增加,热缓冲能力下降,污染转移危险性上升等,有必要迅速开展城市化过程中土壤质量演变及其生态环境效应的系统研究,为我国城市可持续发展提供理论依据。     

An anthropometric and hematological comparison of sickle cell disease children from rural and urban areas

BACKGROUND:

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a prevalent genetic disorder in India and the rural and urban areas experience distinctly different healthcare facilities. In view of this, a comparative study of SCD-SS pattern children of age 8–15 years from rural and urban areas of Wardha district of Central India was carried out using anthropometric and hematological parameters.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The data were collected using standard methods and the results showed a significant (P < 0.05) difference in the mean values for body weight, body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin, hematocrit, and white blood corpuscles (WBC). Statistical analysis of the data was done using SPSS 18.0 software. Individuals were screened by solubility test method. Sickle cell patterns (AS and SS) were determined by using electrophoresis technique.

RESULT:

The SCD-SS children from rural were significantly underweight than those from the urban area of Wardha district. BMI is a good indicator of nutritional status and BMI values of SCD children have less than desired.

CONCLUSION:

The study highlights an urgent need to conduct integrated investigations for SCD population of rural areas covering clinical, nutritional, and social aspects.     

BCG immunization age in urban and rural areas of Akita Prefecture, Japan

BCG immunization, utilizing whole-body coordination, is a highly cost-effective means of health intervention for preventing miliary tuberculosis (TB) and TB meningitis. In this study, we investigated the appropriate age by which a child should have completed his or her BCG immunization and discuss the current BCG immunization rate in Akita Prefecture, Japan. BCG immunization rates in urban and rural areas were 90.1% and 80.7%, respectively. Our immunization data were lower than the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended rate. Immunization coverage rates in urban settings were higher than those in rural areas among infants four months to fifteen months of age, except for those six months old. We recommend: (1) completing BCG immunization by the age of twelve months, (2) preparing and educating parents for BCG immunization by means of a health policy, and (3) changing BCG immunization methods from group to individual inoculation. Immunization coverage rates may be increased or maintained to prevent miliary TB and TB meningitis.