Most recent university campuses follow the North American model, built on city limits or countryside, with large separate buildings in open green spaces. Studies suggest that the prevalence and severity of mental health issues among university students has been increasing over the past decade in most countries. University services were created to face this growing problem, however individual-based interventions have limited effects on mental health and well-being of a large population. Our aim was to verify if and how the natural environment in campuses is focused on programs to cope with the issue of mental health and well-being among students. A systematic review of literature was undertaken with search in Scopus and LILACS with the keywords “green areas” AND “well-being” AND “Campus”, following PRISMA guidelines. As a result, 32 articles were selected. Research on the topic is recent, mostly in the USA, Bulgaria, and China. Most studies used objective information on campuses’ greenness and/or university students’ perception. Mental health was usually measured by validated scores. Findings of all the studies indicated positive association between campus greenery and well-being of students. We conclude that there is a large potential for use of university campuses in programs and as sites for students’ restoration and stress relief.

RESUMO É importante entender a interação entre desastres naturais e saúde pública sob o olhar da geografia, visando redução do risco, função essencial da saúde pública. Objetivo: identificar vazios conceituais na interação desastres naturais e saúde pública. Método: revisão sistematizada de literatura, com busca no PubMed®, biblioteca virtual de literatura biomédica, utilizando os Descritores em Ciências da Saúde (DeCS/MeSH): “desastres naturais” e “saúde”. O critério de inclusão foi a presença de ambos descritores no título, resumo ou palavras-chave e, os critérios de exclusão, a ausência de ambas as palavras ou a presença de uma única. Através do método de identificação, seleção, elegibilidade e inclusão dos estudos, os trabalhos foram organizados em tabela e analisados. Resultados: Foram encontrados seis estudos, destes cinco atenderam aos critérios e foram analisados. Desastres climáticos foram os mais recorrentes nos estudos, entretanto à luz de relatórios oficiais os hidrológicos são os que causam maior número de vítimas. A produção na área da saúde sobre o tema desastres ainda é recente e escassa. A Geografia pode ter um importante papel na interconexão entre os dois temas. A revisão sistematizada de literatura é uma ferramenta para subsidiar a necessidade de estudos no tema.

Background Vitamin D deficiency has been documented to be prevalent, even in low latitude regions; and this may be related to sun exposure behaviors. The aim of the current study was to assess the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations and lifestyle-related factors in a sample of Brazilian women living at latitude 21 degrees 8' S. Methods A cross-sectional study was undertaken in 101 women aged 35 years or older in July 2019 to assess the association between 25(OH)D concentration and level of exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR), smoking habits, alcohol consumption, and physical activity levels. Age, body mass index (BMI), and postmenopausal status were investigated. Findings According to the slope coefficient for individual daily UVR levels, the concentration of 25(OH)D increased by 5 nmol / L for each extra Standard Erythema Dose of UVR, regardless of age and BMI (p < 0.001). Postmenopausal women had a significantly higher mean concentration of 25(OH)D (p = 0.01), higher UVR exposure (p = 0.01) and lower BMI (p = 0.005) compared with younger women, independent of other confounders including smoking, alcohol, occupation and physical activity. Interpretation Although postmenopausal women from Brazil had higher mean concentrations of 25(OH)D than younger women, more studies are necessary to understand how sun exposure and lifestyle variables interfere with these levels. These findings have important public health implications since they suggest that vitamin D deficiency in older age is not inevitable. Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.

PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW:To conduct a systematic review of studies to investigate the association between climate and vitamin D in humans.RECENT FINDINGS:There is growing interest in the association between the environment and vitamin D, but robust methods to understand this relationship are lacking. Studies focus mainly on seasonality and latitude. Research quantifying sunlight exposure necessary for adequate vitamin D synthesis in people with darker skin color and those people living at low latitudes are scarce, as are studies in urban populations that may have limited opportunity for sunlight exposure. There are gaps regarding values and timing of exposure to UV radiation required for adequate vitamin D synthesis considering skin color, geography, climate, and local irradiation. Nature-based solutions (NbS) that can mitigate climate change will become increasingly important for preventing hypovitaminosis D. For example, tree-shaded spaces might encourage more participation in outside activities and thereby favor vitamin D synthesis by the skin.

Vitamin D deficiency is a global health problem and approaches that consider Nature-Based Solu-tions (NbS) can bring new perspectives of solution. About 80% of the amount of vitamin D that the body needs is produced endogenously through exposure of the skin to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from sunlight. The average UVB exposure in urban areas will depend in part on the local climate and the amount of cover and types of trees. The study analyzed the association between green areas and vitamin D levels. A sample of 101 women aged 35 years and over, living in the city of Araraquara, Brazil, was analyzed. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was calculated as an indicator of exposure to green areas, being defined as the surrounding residential vegetation. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between residential vegetation index and vitamin D status. A statis-tically significant positive association was observed between exposure to below-median residential surrounding vegetation index and prevalence of insufficient levels of 25(HO)D (P=0,03). The study shows that lower levels of residential green are associated with a higher prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency. NbS approaches contribute to a better understanding of suitable environments for achieving good levels of vitamin D, avoiding the need for phar-maceutical supplementation of the nutrient.

A deficiência de vitamina D é um problema de saúde global e as abordagens que consideram as Soluções baseadas na Natureza (NbS) podem trazer novas perspectivas de solução. Cerca de 80% da quantidade de vitamina D que o corpo precisa é produzida endogenamente por meio da exposição da pele à radiação ultravioleta B (UVB) da luz solar. A exposição média à UVB em áreas urbanas dependerá em parte do clima local e da quantidade de cobertura e tipos de árvores. Este estudo discute a associação entre áreas verdes e níveis de vitamina D. Foi analisada uma amostra de 101 mulheres com 35 anos ou mais de idade, moradoras da cidade de Araraquara, Brasil. O Índice de Vegetação por Diferença Normalizada (NDVI) foi calculado como indicador de exposição às áreas verdes, sendo definido como a vegetação circundante residencial. Foi utilizado o modelo de regressão logística para analisar a associação entre o índice de vegetação residencial e o status (níveis) de vitamina D. Observou-se uma associação positiva estatisticamente significativa entre a exposição ao índice de vegetação circundante residencial abaixo da mediana e a prevalência de níveis insuficientes de 25(HO)D (P=0,03). O estudo mostra que níveis mais baixos de verde residencial estão associados à maior prevalência de insuficiência de vitamina D. Desta forma, as abordagens NbS contribuem para melhor compreensão dos ambientes adequados para o alcance de bons níveis de vitamina D, evitando a necessidade de suplementação farmacêutica do nutriente.

The study discusses the possible role of adequate vitamin D status in plasma or serum for preventing acute respiratory infections during the Covid-19 pandemic. Our arguments respond to an article, published in Italy, that describes the high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in older Italian women and raises the possible preventive and therapeutic role of optimal vitamin D levels. Based on literature review, we highlight the findings regarding the protective role of vitamin D for infectious diseases of the respiratory system. However, randomized controlled trials are currently lacking. Adequate vitamin D status is obtained from sun exposure and foods rich in vitamin D. Studies in Brazil have shown that hypovitaminosis D is quite common in spite of high insolation. Authors recommend ecological, epidemiological and randomized controlled trials studies to verify this hypothesis.

Urbanization in river basins contributes to the anthropogenic eutrophication of their water bodies, leading to the proliferation of toxic algae such as cyanobacteria. There is a characteristic pattern of seasonality in algal blooms and cyanobacterial communities, although these algae may be present or even dominant for most of the year, causing practical problems associated with high cyanobacterial biomass and potential health threats. The increased concentration of toxins originating from these algae, cyanotoxins, in water-supply reservoirs puts the population at serious risk, since they are not removed by conventional treatment and filtration. This study analyzed possible associations between climate elements and cyanobacteria biomass in the Guarapiranga dam reservoir, located in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil. Meteorological variables were studied exclusively in relation to the cyanobacteria biomass, in order to perceive the influence of weather and climate in this complex system and to provide data for modeling future climate change scenarios. For this purpose, cyanobacteria count data were used for the period from 2010 to 2016, grouped by month, in addition to the atmospheric variables. The strongest correlation with the blooms was with Irradiation and Total Rainfall, explaining 30% of cases of the occurrence of cyanobacteria proliferation at the point of collection GU 101. Despite the notable influence of climatic seasonality on the algae blooms, this difference varies and is not homogeneous, depending on the location and the species studied.

Almost half of the Brazilian population has no access to sewage collection and treatment. Untreated effluents discharged in waters of reservoirs for human supply favor the flowering of cyanobacteria - and these microorganisms produce toxins, such as saxitoxin, which is a very potent neurotoxin present in reservoirs in the Northeast region. A recent study confirmed that chronic ingestion of neurotoxin-infected water associated with Zika virus infection could lead to a microcephaly-like outcome in pregnant mice. Cyanobacteria benefit from hot weather and organic matter in water, a condition that has been intensified by climate change, according to our previous studies. Considering the new findings, we emphasize that zika arbovirus is widespread and worsened when associated with climate change, especially in middle- or low-income countries with low levels of sanitation coverage.

Urbanized river basins usually suffer from anthropogenic pressure, compromising the quality of water. Unsafe water is a risk to public health, especially when there are occurrences of HABs (Harmful Algae Blooms) as in the case of cyanobacteria, which cause different human health problems. In this paper, we aimed to review the scientific literature documenting what has been studied in the scope of the stratified reservoirs of urbanized basins. The mapping review method was used to categorize existing literature on urbanized watersheds and eutrophic reservoirs. Using the keywords “Eutrophic Reservoir” and “Urban” and selecting all the years of open publication on the Science web page, we obtained 69 results, 53 of them meeting the requirements established for the search. Many of the studies mention as the most important determinant for eutrophication of reservoirs and the proliferation of algae, the anthropogenic influence through the diffuse load of streets, domestic and industrial sewage, and even drainage water from agricultural areas in the basin. The results of this study reinforce that informal settlements without sanitary infrastructure are aggravating the deterioration of water quality in urban water sources and therefore posing many risks to public health.

Abstract In response to innumerable global challenges in a world ever more complex and interconnected, including a number of public health challenges, the United Nations launched the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; a guideline intended to deal with these issues. Foreseeing their huge complexity, the UNLEASH initiative was created with a vision to gather, on a yearly basis until 2030, 1.000 young talents from all over the world to co-create disruptive solutions for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The School of Public Health of the University of São Paulo was selected as the only educational institution partner in South America and was invited to select and send students to the launching event in Denmark in August 2017. The aim of this study is to address and reflect on the seven SDGs (health, food, water, energy, urban sustainability, sustainable consumption and production and education) that were explored in this first event and relate the students’ experiences of this global innovation lab.

Studies indicate the potential carcinogenic and other harmful effects on health of Microcystis aeruginosa (cyanobacteria) in drinking water. Cyanobacteria blooms are becoming an increasingly common phenomenon worldwide, especially in urban lakes and reservoirs. The aim of this chapter is to demonstrate the potential relationship between cyanobacteria in the drinking water from the Guarapiranga Reservoir and climate change in the Metropolitan Region of Sao Paulo, as well as health risks factors associated. Methods used: literature review and analysis of data on water quality and climate parameters. Results: The Guarapiranga Reservoir in Sao Paulo-Brazil, accountable for supplying water to 3.8 million inhabitants of this city, has shown frequent cyanobacterial blooms when the temperature rises and in rainy weather (summer). Climate change in the city of Sao Paulo can worsen these problems related to drinking water once the ideal climatic conditions for the proliferation of cyanobacteria are increasing in frequency. Especially in the last 20 years, the maximum temperatures are higher and episodes of heavy rain are more frequent. This scenario can magnify a public health problem related to cyanobacteria in Sao Paulo and around the world. Climate change may increase public health risks related to drinking water quality as associated with land use.

O artigo apresenta a relevância dos conceitos de Clima Urbano e de Ritmo Climatico para pesquisas em Geografia da Saude a partir de tres estudos de caso. O primeiro destaca exemplos de estudos feitos em climas urbanos de diferentes locais em que os referenciais foram aplicados, mostrando a relacao entre o ritmo climatico e efeitos temporais a saude da populacao. Ilustra com o caso de internacoes hospitalares de idosos por doencas circulatorias em regiao da cidade de Sao Paulo, que segue um ritmo temporal relacionado a elementos do clima. O segundo caso descreve resultados de pesquisa realizada na cidade de Araraquara, de porte medio, no estado de Sao Paulo, em que elementos climaticos, como temperatura, precipitacao, umidade e vento tiveram papel importante no desencadear de epidemias de dengue. O terceiro caso estudado e o da relacao entre o ritmo climatico e a proliferacao de algas cianoficeas na represa Guarapiranga, responsavel pelo abastecimento de ate 50% da populacao paulistana. A proliferacao de algas e causada pelos poluentes despejados na represa, que levam a sua eutrofizacao. No entanto, fatores climaticos tem um papel no desencadeamento e na intensidade das floracoes, que, em longo, prazo, podem estar relacionadas a maior incidencia de câncer do aparelho digestivo.