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Effectiveness Evaluation of a Primary School-Based Intervention against Heatwaves in China. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19052532. [PMID: 35270225 PMCID: PMC8909389 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19052532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Background: Evidence of the effectiveness of intervention against extreme heat remains unclear, especially among children, one of the vulnerable populations. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a primary school-based intervention program against heatwave and climate change in China to provide evidence for development of policies for adaptation to climate change. Methods: Two primary schools in Dongtai City, Jiangsu Province, China, were randomly selected as intervention and control schools (CTR registration number: ChiCTR2200056005). Health education was conducted at the intervention school to raise students’ awareness and capability to respond to extreme heat during May to September in 2017. Knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of students and their parents at both schools were investigated by questionnaire surveys before and after intervention. The changes in KAP scores after intervention were evaluated using multivariable difference-in-difference (DID) analysis, controlling for age, sex, etc. Results: The scores of knowledge, attitude, and practice of students and their parents increased by 19.9% (95%CI: 16.3%, 23.6%) and 22.5% (95%CI: 17.8%, 27.1%); 9.60% (95%CI: 5.35%, 13.9%) and 7.22% (95%CI: 0.96%, 13.5%); and 9.94% (95%CI: 8.26%, 18.3%) and 5.22% (95%CI: 0.73%, 9.71%), respectively, after intervention. The KAP score changes of boys were slightly higher than those of girls. Older students had higher score changes than younger students. For parents, the higher the education level, the greater the score change, and change in scores was greater in females than in males. All the health education activities in the program were significantly correlated with the changes in KAP scores of primary school students after intervention, especially those curricula with interesting activities and experiential learning approaches. Conclusions: Heat and health education program in primary school was an effective approach to improve cognition and behavior for both students and their parents to better adapt to heatwaves and climate change. The successful experience can be generalized to respond to the increasing extreme weather/climate events in the context of climate change, such as heatwaves, and other emergent occasions or public health education, such as the control and prevention of COVID-19.
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Arsad FS, Hod R, Ahmad N, Baharom M, Tangang F. The Malay-Version Knowledge, Risk Perception, Attitude and Practice Questionnaire on Heatwaves: Development and Construct Validation. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19042279. [PMID: 35206467 PMCID: PMC8872578 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19042279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Background: Heatwaves have long been recognised as a serious public health concern. This study was aimed at developing and validating a Malay-version of a questionnaire for evaluating knowledge, risk perception, attitudes, and practices regarding heatwaves. Method: The knowledge construct was evaluated with item analysis and internal reliability. The psychometric characteristics, construct and discriminant validity, and internal consistency of the risk perception, attitude and practice constructs were evaluated with exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results: The 16 items in the knowledge construct had a good difficulty, discrimination, and reliability index of 0.81. A total of 16 items were maintained in EFA with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.84 and 0.82, 0.78 and 0.84 obtained for total items and risk perception, attitude, and practice constructs, respectively. A total of 15 items were retained after CFA. The finalised model met the fitness indices threshold. The convergent and discriminant validity were good. Conclusion: This newly developed Malay-version KRPAP questionnaire is reliable and valid for assessing Malaysians’ knowledge, risk perception, attitudes, and practices regarding heatwaves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fadly Syah Arsad
- Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (F.S.A.); (N.A.); (M.B.)
| | - Rozita Hod
- Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (F.S.A.); (N.A.); (M.B.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Norfazilah Ahmad
- Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (F.S.A.); (N.A.); (M.B.)
| | - Mazni Baharom
- Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (F.S.A.); (N.A.); (M.B.)
| | - Fredolin Tangang
- Department of Earth Sciences and Environment, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Malaysia;
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Razzak JA, Agrawal P, Chand Z, Quraishy S, Ghaffar A, Hyder AA. Impact of community education on heat-related health outcomes and heat literacy among low-income communities in Karachi, Pakistan: a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Glob Health 2022; 7:bmjgh-2021-006845. [PMID: 35101860 PMCID: PMC8804631 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-006845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Extreme heat exposure is a growing public health concern. In this trial, we tested the impact of a community health worker (CHW) led heat education programme on all-cause mortality, unplanned hospital visits and changes in knowledge and practices in Karachi, Pakistan. METHODS The Heat Emergency Awareness and Treatment trial was a community-based, open-label, two-group, unblinded cluster-randomised controlled trial that implemented a CHW-led educational intervention between March and May 2018 in Karachi, Pakistan. We randomly assigned (1:1) 16 clusters, each with ~185 households or 1000 population, to the intervention or usual care (control group). We collected data on all-cause mortality, unplanned hospital visits, evidence of heat illness through surveillance and a knowledge and practice survey during the summer months of 2017 (preintervention) and 2018 (postintervention). FINDINGS We recruited 18 554 participants from 2991 households (9877 individuals (1593 households) in the control group and 8668 individuals (1398 households) in the intervention group). After controlling for temporal trends, there was a 38% (adjusted OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.49 to 0.77) reduction in hospital visits for any cause in the intervention group compared with the control group. In addition, there was an improvement in many areas of knowledge and practices, but there was no significant difference in all-cause mortality. INTERPRETATION A CHW-led community intervention was associated with decreased unscheduled hospital visits, improved heat literacy and practices but did not impact all-cause mortality. CHWs could play an essential role in preparing communities for extreme heat events. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT03513315.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junaid Abdul Razzak
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Priyanka Agrawal
- International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Zaheer Chand
- MLE Department, Aman Foundation, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Saadia Quraishy
- MLE Department, Aman Foundation/West London Heath Trust, London, UK
| | - Abdul Ghaffar
- Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, World Health Organization, Geneve, Switzerland
| | - Adnan A Hyder
- MLE Department, George Washington University Milken Institute of Public Health, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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Effective Community-Based Interventions for the Prevention and Management of Heat-Related Illnesses: A Scoping Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18168362. [PMID: 34444112 PMCID: PMC8394078 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18168362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Background: Extreme temperatures have negative consequences on the environment, ecosystem, and human health. With recent increases in global temperatures, there has been a rise in the burden of heat-related illnesses, with a disproportionate impact on low- and middle-income countries. Effective population-level interventions are critical to a successful public health response. Objective: This scoping review aims to summarize the evidence on the effectiveness of population-level heat-related interventions and serve as a potential guide to the implementation of these interventions. Methods: Studies that evaluated the effectiveness of community-based interventions to mitigate or reduce the impact of extreme heat on heat-related mortality and morbidity were sought by searching four electronic databases. Studies published in the English language and those that had quantifiable, measurable mortality, morbidity or knowledge score outcomes were included. Results: The initial electronic search yielded 2324 articles, and 17 studies were included. Fourteen studies were based in high-income countries (HICs) (Europe, US, Canada) and discussed multiple versions of (1) heat action plans, which included but were not limited to establishing a heat monitoring system, informative campaigns, the mobilization of health care professionals, volunteers, social workers and trained caregivers in the surveillance and management of individuals with known vulnerabilities, or stand-alone (2) education and awareness campaigns. Multi-pronged heat action plans were highly effective in reducing heat-related mortality and morbidity, especially among vulnerable populations such as the elderly and those with chronic conditions. Conclusions: The heat action plans covered in these studies have shown promising results in reducing heat-related mortality and morbidity and have included instituting early warning systems, building local capacity to identify, prevent or treat and manage heat-related illnesses, and disseminating information. Nevertheless, they need to be cost-effective, easy to maintain, ideally should not rely on a mass effort from people and should be specifically structured to meet the local needs and resources of the community.
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Su Y, Cheng L, Cai W, Lee JKW, Zhong S, Chen S, Li T, Huang X, Huang C. Evaluating the effectiveness of labor protection policy on occupational injuries caused by extreme heat in a large subtropical city of China. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 186:109532. [PMID: 32334170 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
On March 1, 2012, the Chinese government implemented the Administrative Measures on Heatstroke Prevention (AMHP2012) to combat the occupational health impacts of extreme heat, and reducing occupational injury was one of the main purposes. This study aimed at quantifying the intervention effects of the AMHP2012 on extreme heat-related occupational injuries and subsequent insurance payouts in Guangzhou, China. Data on occupational injuries and insurance payouts were collected from March 1, 2011, to February 28, 2013, from the occupational injury insurance system of Guangzhou. A quasi-experimental design with before-after control was adopted. Interrupted time series analysis was performed to quantify the change of occupational injuries and insurance payouts after policy implementation. The distributed lag non-linear model was used to explore whether injury claims and insurance payouts due to extreme heat decreased. A total of 9851 injury claims were included in the analysis. After policy implementation, the risk of occupational injuries and insurance payouts decreased by 13% (RR = 0.87, 95%CI: 0.75, 0.99) and 24% (RR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.58, 0.94), respectively. The attributable fraction of extreme heat-related occupational injuries decreased from 3.17% (95%eCI: 1.35, 4.69) to 1.52% (95%eCI: -0.36, 3.15), which contributed to 0.86 million USD reduction of insurance payouts. Both males and females, low-educated, young and middle-aged workers, workers at small or medium-sized enterprises, engaging in manufacturing, and with both minor and severe injuries were apparently associated with decreased rates of extreme heat-related occupational injuries. The AMHP2012 policy contributed to the reduction of extreme heat-related occupational injuries and insurance payouts in Guangzhou, China, and this research provided novel evidence for decision-makers to better understand the necessity of implementing health protection policies among laborers under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Su
- School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China; Shanghai Typhoon Institute, China Meteorological Administration, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Liangliang Cheng
- School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Wenjia Cai
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China; Joint Center for Global Change Studies (JCGCS), Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Jason Kai Wei Lee
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Global Asia Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore; N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shuang Zhong
- Center for Chinese Public Administration Research, School of Government, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Siyu Chen
- Institute for Economic and Social Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Teng Li
- International School of Business and Finance, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Xinfei Huang
- International School of Business and Finance, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
| | - Cunrui Huang
- School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Meteorology and Health, Shanghai Meteorological Service, Shanghai, 200030, China; School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
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Yezli S, Mushi A, Yassin Y, Maashi F, Khan A. Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Pilgrims Regarding Heat-Related Illnesses during the 2017 Hajj Mass Gathering. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16173215. [PMID: 31484343 PMCID: PMC6747626 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16173215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The Hajj mass gathering attended by over two million Muslim pilgrims from around the world is a risk for heat-related illnesses (HRIs). We investigated the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of pilgrims attending the 2017 Hajj regarding HRIs and their prevention. Adult pilgrims (1801) from six countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Pilgrims had a mean age of 47.2 years (SD = 12.6) and a male:female ratio of 2.2:1. Over 83% declared having at least a secondary education. Pilgrims generally had good knowledge and above average attitude and practice according to our scoring criteria. Most pilgrims were aware of HRIs and preventive measures. However, poor hydration and reluctance to use certain preventive measures or to change Hajj activities’ schedule based on environmental temperature were noted. Age, nationality and level of education were significantly associated with a good knowledge of HRIs. Only nationality was significantly associated with good attitude, and good practice was significantly associated with gender, age and nationality. There were significant positive correlations between the KAP scores. These results can serve as baseline data to design effective general or targeted interventions to improve pilgrims’ knowledge and behavior and to reduce their risk of HRIs during Hajj.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saber Yezli
- The Global Centre for Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh 12341, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Abdulaziz Mushi
- The Global Centre for Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh 12341, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yara Yassin
- The Global Centre for Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh 12341, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fuad Maashi
- The Global Centre for Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh 12341, Saudi Arabia
| | - Anas Khan
- The Global Centre for Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh 12341, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11472, Saudi Arabia
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Martinez GS, Linares C, Ayuso A, Kendrovski V, Boeckmann M, Diaz J. Heat-health action plans in Europe: Challenges ahead and how to tackle them. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 176:108548. [PMID: 31247429 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.108548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
High temperatures have periodically affected large areas in Europe and urban settings. In particular, the deadly 2003 summer heat waves precipitated a multitude of national and subnational health prevention and research efforts. Building on these and other international experiences the WHO Regional Office for Europe developed and published in 2008 a comprehensive framework for prevention, the heat-health action plans (HHAPs). This provided a blueprint used by several national and subnational authorities to design their prevention efforts. A decade after the publication of the WHO guidance, a wealth of new evidence and acquired implementation experience has emerged around HHAP effectiveness; heat exposure; acclimatization and adaptation; heat-health governance and stakeholder involvement; and the role of urban design and greening interventions in prevention. This evidence and experience can guide the strategies to tackle current and upcoming challenges in protecting health from heat under a warming climate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ana Ayuso
- Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Julio Diaz
- Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
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