The outdoor environments of 250 makeshift eateries in markets, Motor Parks, roadsides, Government offices and school areas in Nigeria were investigated for sanitary condition, occurrence of faecal coliforms (FC) and Salmonella; and potential intervention points for food safety based on the social practice theory (SPT) were identified. Variations occurred in the prevalence of refuse dumpsites, open/blocked gutters/drainages (0-84.0%) and housefly counts (32-69) in the eateries' surroundings. All these, including indoor/outdoor air, were sources of FC and Salmonella. Salmonella was isolated from rice meal in 42-48.4% of the eateries and was associated with eatery location (OR, 2.50-3.45; 95% CL, 0.92-5.76; P < 0.001). A link between Salmonella from outdoor and rice was indicated by their identical multiple antibiotics resistance index (t test, P > 0.05). Occurrence of FC and Salmonella in the makeshift eateries' environment and the poor sanitation know-how (39.6%) indicated by SPT guided analysis, showed that waste disposal practice is the intervention point for food safety assurance.
Decisions about motor transport, by individuals and policy-makers, show unconscious biases due to cultural assumptions about the role of private cars - a phenomenon we term motonormativity. To explore this claim, a national sample of 2157 UK adults rated, at random, a set of statements about driving (“People shouldn't drive in highly populated areas where other people have to breathe in the car fumes”) or a parallel set of statements with key words changed to shift context ("People shouldn't smoke in highly populated areas where other people have to breathe in the cigarette fumes"). Such context changes could radically alter responses (75% agreed with "People shouldn't smoke... " but only 17% agreed with "People shouldn't drive... "). We discuss how these biases systematically distort medical and policy decisions and give recommendations for how public policy and health professionals might begin to recognise and address these unconscious biases in their work.
Air pollution monitoring in Kathmandu valley during 2003-2007, 2014-2015 and 2017 onwards shows that there has been substantial decrease in particulate air pollution with around 50% reduction in overall average PM10 from 123 μg/m3 for the period 2003-2007 to 61μg/m3 during 2018-2020 equivalent to around 3.2% decrease per year from 2003 to 2020. Similarly, a reduction of 13.6% in PM2.5 from 49 μg/m3 during 2014/15 to 42.4 μg/m3 during 2017-2020 was found with around 4.2% decrease per year from 2014-2015 to 2020. However, the averages are still 3-4 times higher than WHO 2005 guideline values and pose serious threats to the valley inhabitants. Assessment of respiratory health burdens like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute respiratory infection including pneumonia showed 6%-13% of the respiratory morbidities can be attributed to PM2.5 in Kathmandu valley. Under 35% PM2.5 reduction scenario in 2030, the expected avoidable fractions are found to be 2.5-4.9%.
The COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent restrictions have profoundly influenced the lifestyle and eating habits of global citizens, which may affect their body weight. This review aims to explore the effects of quarantine on body weight, eating behaviours, and dietary patterns of adults. This paper reviewed 21 papers with 29,899 participants. The majority of the studied populations did not depict an outlook of unhealthy eating behaviors. A considerable percentage of reviewed populations gained weight, and a relatively higher percentage exhibited emotional eating. Approximately half of the studied populations practised healthy eating. More country-based research is needed during the COVID-19 quarantine.
