Public Health Institute Journal (LJMU)
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A survey study to explore Particulate Matter (PM) air pollution levels and assess parents’ opinions towards air pollution around primary schools in Liverpool.
No full textOutdoor air pollution is a serious threat to human health and the environment and is a global issue. In the UK around 40000 deaths are attributable to exposure to outdoor air pollution, and it plays a significant role in many of our health challengers today. Air Pollution is a significant threat to young people’s health, and it has been widely recognised that children are highly vulnerable to its effects. Research has found that 3.4 million UK children are going to school in environments with unhealthy levels of air quality. The aim of the research was to explore levels of particulate matter (PM) and assess parents and carers opinions towards air pollution around primary schools in Liverpool. In doing this the study would gain a better understanding of air pollution levels present around primary school in Liverpool and identify and assess key areas where parents’ actions and behaviours could be changed to improve the air quality around their child’s school. The study used a quantitative method, using a dual approach of physical PM2.5 monitoring and the use of an online questionnaire to collect the data. The researcher used a self-selective sampling method. Three primary schools in the West Derby & Old Swan area of Liverpool were contacted by the researcher and agreed to act as the gatekeeper for the study and distribute the online questionnaire to their parents and carers, the questionnaire received 112 responses. The PM2.5 monitoring was carried out at primary school that agreed to take part in the study, during 3 intervals of the school day. The results were then analysed by the researcher using both Excel and SPSS data software. The results revealed the majority (80%) of participants believed their form of travel had some impact on air quality around the school. The majority of participants (55%) used a motor vehicle for the school commute (petrol 46%, diesel, 49%). The finding of the study also revealed that the majority (66%) of participants were parking as close to the school as possible during school drop of and pick up times. The research revealed that more research is required into air pollution around primary schools, to further parents and carers knowledge and understanding of the health threats associated with poor air quality can have on their children. Further research of the subject could provide schools and their parents and carers to make more informed choices on their actions to improve air quality around the school
A survey study of LJMU students\u27 Attitudes towards Fast Fashion and its Impacts on Humans and the Environment
No full textThe fast fashion industry has a number of effects on both humans and the environment, affecting climate change and impacting garment workers operating in both low to middle income countries and the United Kingdom. While the fast fashion industry provides affordable and accessible clothing to everyone, this comes at a price and despite this, the industry is thriving in today\u27s economy. The fast fashion industry is prevalent all across the world and thus, ultimately affects the globe, due to waste, pollution and social injustices. The aims for this study were to identify younger students’ attitudes towards the fast fashion industry and its impacts on both humans and the environment and to understand how environmental and humanitarian concerns impact on students’ fashion purchases. In order to complete the study, an anonymous online survey was completed by 43 students of Liverpool John Moores University. The students who participated in the study were aged 18-25, these students answered a number of questions surrounding their awareness of the fast fashion industry, its impacts and their shopping habits. The information provided by participants of the study was then analysed through the use of Microsoft Excel and SPSS in order to produce results. The results from the study have shown that while the participants of the study were aware of the fast fashion industry, its impacts and ethical and sustainable alternatives to their purchasing habits, they were still likely to consider the use of fast fashion retailers to purchase items of clothing for a number of reasons, mainly the affordability and accessibility of fast fashion. The lack of affordability and accessibility is clear when considering ethical and sustainable alternatives to fast fashion, especially when we consider that students have less of a disposable income when compared with those who are in full time employment. Recommendations include more education surrounding the topic to be readily available to everyone and for fast fashion retailers to become more sustainable and to consider the affects their businesses have on both humans and the environment
A quantitative study to establish whether the first COVID-19 lockdown restrictions influenced the (binge) drinking patterns of LJMU students.: Commendation for Significant Achievement
No full textStudent alcohol consumption and binge drinking are largely normalised within university communities. Despite evidence highlighting that physical, social, emotional, and cognitive impacts of consuming alcohol at binge levels, students continue to consume alcohol and binge drink. This study sought to explore the reasons why students drink alcohol and binge drink in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, examining if the first COVID-19 lockdown influenced students drinking patterns, and if so, why. A quantitative methodology was adopted, with an anonymous online questionnaire consisting of a variety of questions used to explore changes in LJMU students (aged 18 years and above) alcohol use and binge drinking patterns during and after the first COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. A total of 50 participants aged between 18-54 completed the questionnaire. The data found that the majority of students reported binge drinking on weekly basis during the COVID-19 lockdown with a small increase in the number of students reporting binge drinking since the easing of the lockdown. The study also identified a new trend of drinking virtually via online platforms with friends during lockdown, but this trend did not last beyond the ease of restrictions. The reasons for drinking during the first COVID-19 lockdown, were mainly cited as being due to boredom whilst catching up with their friends and making up for lost time were the predominant reasons after these restrictions were eased. Binge drinking is concerningly still a common behaviour among LJMU students, with more participants reporting getting unintentionally drunk since the ease of lockdown. The re-opening of participants’ preferred places to drink (i.e., drinking venues such as pubs and bars) influenced them to drink higher volumes of alcohol when compared to levels of drinking they reported in their homes during the lock-down. This shows that for students, drinking is a communal and social experience, and as their interaction was restricted during lockdown, they were prevented from drinking in their desired way, which is with other students in public drinking spaces
The perceptions and attitudes of LJMU students residing in the Liverpool City Region regarding outdoor air pollution
No full textAir pollution is a global issue affecting low, middle, and high income countries. Poor air quality can have both short and long term effects on health mainly effecting the respiratory and cardiovascular system and is believed to contribute to 4.2 million deaths annually worldwide. The severity of these effects is dependent on concentration, exposure and individual sensitivity to air pollution and more often affects the most vulnerable in society. The UK still follows the legal requirements for air pollution set by the EU although some cities remain in breach of these limits and tolerances which is damaging to the health of the population. The Liverpool City Region (LCR) is one of these, with asthma rates and preventable deaths from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases higher than the national average making the population of the LCR vulnerable to the ill effects of poor air quality. This study explores students’ knowledge of anthropogenic sources of outdoor air pollution, the main pollutants and their health effects as well as their attitudes towards risk. The study also looks at students’ awareness of schemes currently underway in the LCR trying to improve air quality. Data was collected using an online questionnaire emailed to Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) students targeting those currently residing in the LCR. Data from 83 students was analysed and presented in a number of charts before being interpretation. Overall students had good knowledge of anthropogenic sources, pollutants and health effects of outdoor air pollution. Despite being armed with this knowledge the participants weren’t overly concerned about outdoor air pollution nor did they think it was a high risk to themselves. The students stated that they were responsible as well as government to improve air quality however their lack of concern towards themselves suggests they would be less likely to follow through on these actions. The awareness of current schemes running in the LCR was low among students which reflects the lack of concern and level of risk they think it poses. The implications for public and environmental health are that students’ lack of concern about outdoor air pollution suggests they would be less likely to put pressure on the government to adopt stricter policies which in turn could pose a greater risk to their health in the longer term
A quantitative study to assess Liverpool John Moores University students’ attitudes towards littering and their perceptions of different types of litter
No full textLitter is a worldwide problem that can cause harm to human and animal health as well as the environment. Littering also has a heavy financial impact on governments and taxpayers. Many people are unaware of the problems associated with litter and are unaware of what littering actually is or what types of items constitute litter. This is a quantitative study which used online questionnaires as a method of gathering relevant data in order to answer the study questions which are “What are the attitudes amongst Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) students towards littering, and what are their perceptions of different types of litter?”. The target population was LJMU students aged eighteen or over and used convenience sampling to recruit. Using their dissertation supervisors as gatekeepers to distribute the questionnaire amongst the students, the researcher recruited forty-five participants for the study. Almost all the participants thought that littering was unacceptable, was a worldwide problem, were concerned about litter in the environment and almost all believed that it was a potential hazard to humans. Participants displayed a lack of knowledge when asked what the most commonly littered items are and overall, they were inaccurate when asked to estimate the biodegradability of some commonly littered items. Cigarette butts were found to be the most common type of litter and were found at 77% of sites surveyed by the LEQSE in 2017, however these were not recognised as litter by 28% of smokers in the survey. The study shows that smokers and ex-smokers and people who chew gum, litter their respective items in a variety of ways whilst those who engage in neither of these activities deemed these littering behaviours to be unacceptable. Broken windows theory is a major factor in littering and this theory is strengthened by the fact that almost all the participants believe that apathy is a reason why people litter. Nudge theory can be used to help reduce littering. This can be implemented in a variety of ways such as advertising and educational programmes, improved ‘binfrastructure’ and the watching eyes effect being printed on packaging. Recommendations to help reducing littering include keeping areas clean and reclassifying trampled chewing gum as litter so that local authorities have a duty to clean it. This will stop broken windows theory coming into effect. More education is needed in schools to raise awareness and to reduce apathy and to promote littering as an anti-social behaviour. More prosecution with more severe penalties should occur and all money raised should go into anti-littering initiatives. Enforcement on smoking related littering should be rigorously implemented. More bins should be placed in appropriate places and cleaned regularly. Nudge theory is key to litter reduction and should be implemented into any anti-littering initiatives wherever possible
A Quantitative Study of Students’ Covid - 19 Health Risk Perceptions When Visiting Free-Standing Hospitality Businesses (FSHB) Post Restrictions
No full textCOVID-19 emerged in China in late 2019 and spread both rapidly and globally, resulting in a pandemic which started in March 2020 and is currently ongoing. Over 5.5 million deaths have been registered globally with 174,233 of those in the United Kingdom (UK). Risk is not the same for everyone with regards to infection and outcomes, nevertheless the UK government enforced three national lockdowns to limit the spread and impact. Furthermore, restrictions were imposed on the general public and the hospitality industry e.g., social distancing and seated table service, to name a few. Lockdowns and restrictions did reduce the spread and protected health services, although wider economic impacts are evident. Between April 2020 and March 2021, the UK hospitality industry lost £126.8 billion. In June 2021, all restrictions were lifted in England. However, COVID-19 is still prevalent and continues to have a substantial impact on student risk perceptions and how hospitality businesses operate. The goal of this project was to explore students\u27 perceptions of COVID-19 risk when deciding to visit free-standing hospitality businesses (FSHB) post COVID-19 restrictions. A key objective was to provide FSHB with information as to what restrictions and additional hygiene measures could help reduce student risk perceptions and thus achieve a balance between gaining their trust and loyalty, without impacting economic sustainability of their business. Convenience sampling was used to collect 114 data samples from Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) students using both open and closed questions via an online survey. Less than half (43%) of the sample said that restrictions would help ease their risk perceptions, with 19.7 % of those supporting sectioning off seating, and 31.8% supporting the controlling of customer numbers, although 57% felt that the aforementioned or any other restrictions would not ease their perceptions of risk. The population sample has an imbalance of age, gender, and ethnicity. Thus, additional studies are needed, which provide a more representative demographic participation sample and which consider the new variants of COVID-19, vaccinations, and booster vaccinations. Restrictions will help establish the trust and loyalty of a large proportion of students; nevertheless, applying those restrictions could result in a decrease in customer turnover, which long-term is not economically sustainable, particularly for small FSHB
Exploring if Fat Acceptance Movement Perceptions Impact on Health Beliefs Regarding Obesity and Health
No full textObesity affects every country in the world, in some way or another (World Obesity Federation, 2015, (Galka, 2016). As it is one of the main risk factors for mortality worldwide (WHO, 2021), it is imperative that any relevant aspect that may pertain to public health protection is studied to assess the impact. The title of this study is: “Do Fat Acceptance Movement (FAM) Perceptions Impact Health Beliefs Regarding Obesity and Health?”. The objectives of this study are to access participants’ attitudes towards the FAM using an online questionnaire; to access participants’ perceptions of the FAM in the same online questionnaire; to assess participants’ health beliefs associated with obesity using the online questionnaire and lastly, this study principally hopes to understand if positive FAM perceptions impact upon participants’ health beliefs regarding obesity and health. An online survey was created utilising ‘JISC: Online Surveys’ and then piloted. Advertising material for this online survey was sent to media sites related to the topic and to researchers’ contacts and peers. This online survey was launched and received a response rate of 151. Once data was quantified and analysed, it became clear that FAM perceptions had an impact on the way participants answered health- related questions. Those who displayed positive FAM perceptions were more likely, for example, to class overweight further along the weight scale than those who displayed negative FAM perceptions. This study concludes that FAM is positive for tackling weight- related mental health issues, which is important as a public health concern. It concludes that obesity carries many risks to physical health. Due to misinformation present online in fat activist blogs, sites and groups regarding obesity and health, it may be more likely for those who follow the FAM will carry inaccurate health beliefs. This may be prejudicial to health, therefore the FAM should be further understood to protect public health, as the online world is now an integral part of our environment
A Survey Study Investigating Loneliness and its Association with Social Media during the COVID-19 Pandemic among UK University Students.
No full textWhilst a number of studies have explored the impact of social media on mental health (such as levels of anxiety and depression), very little have explored the impact on loneliness. Furthermore, University students experience high levels of loneliness whilst also being prevalent social media users. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate loneliness and its relationship with social media in UK university students, with a particular emphasis on loneliness levels during the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to a lack of knowledge about loneliness amongst younger generations, students were chosen as the target audience. The study used a quantitative approach, with data collected via an online anonymous questionnaire. The study recruited 101 participants, and found relationships between social media use, levels of loneliness, and other mental health issues, such as anxiety. However, during the Covid-19 pandemic, social media also helped with loneliness, as it acted as a medium for contact and kept students entertained during this isolating time. The data also found that image-centric social media applications such as Facebook and Instagram had a huge impact on self-image when coming out of lockdown causing social anxiety and self-image problems. Gaps in knowledge about social media and loneliness were discovered during Covid-19, and it is recommended that more could be done to educate students about these risks particularly post pandemic. Some recommendations include the need for campaigns in student unions or universities to address the issue of student loneliness, as well as more research on loneliness in university students due to social media
Welcome
No full textoai:openjournals.ljmu.ac.uk:article/533Welcome, we are excited to present the first issue of the Public Health Institute Journal (PHIJ) showcasing the dissertations produced by our students on the BSc Environmental Health and BSc Public Health programmes. COVID-19 has dominated the horizon this year and our students have shown great resilience in adapting to new ways of learning and the demands of collecting their empirical data wholly online in line with university policy. Despite these challenges, the work published here is an extremely high standard, broad in its scope, thought provoking and innovative. Not surprisingly, a number of students chose to focus on the pandemic and there are timely studies on the impact of COVID-19 on international students; on people with food allergies; on diet more generally (where it appears some of us made improvements, eating more home cooked meals and fewer processed foods than before!); on the joys and pitfalls of dog ownership during lockdown; and the difficulty of using PPE in the workplace. There are also ‘big picture’ dissertations on how pandemics exaggerate health inequalities, polarise communities and stigmatise groups, not only in the UK, but around the world and throughout history. Even during a global pandemic, other problems don’t go away and this is reflected in students’ other choices, including health and safety, pollution, cannabis use, loneliness, social media, alcohol, disabilities, cosmetic procedures, food labelling, food borne illnesses, food poverty, and poor housing. Browsing these abstracts provides a rich overview of the contemporary public and environmental health issues deemed important by our students and it reassures us that they have their eyes wide open and are informed about the challenges ahead. Public and Environmental health has never been more of a priority and as they go on to further study and employment, we are enthused by their passion, intelligence and commitment to these issues. We are confident that these important disciplines are in safe hands and we want to congratulate the students on their excellent work and wish them the very best for the future.
Finally, a note on the cover image for this issue: when it came to finding something apt, we found it a challenge to sum up the last year in public health. But in the end we chose an image which will probably be familiar to all of our students after living and working in Liverpool. Antony Gormley’s iron men on Crosby beach stand at perfect social distance as an apt metaphor for our experiences over the last year (local people have even put facemasks on them). They have been weathered by change, but are still standing, looking out to the horizon and ready to face whatever challenge comes next. We have every confidence that our students are ready to do the same. 
What are catering staff’s knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding preventing food borne illness?
No full textFood borne illness costs the UK’s economy £1 billion annually and continues to grow each year. Despite the substantial impacts this has on public health; the food industry lacks regulation and control around food-borne illness. The aim of this research was to determine catering staff’s knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding preventing food borne illness with a view to identifying gaps in training that need addressing. An online convenience survey was completed by people aged 18+ years within the catering trade who had a recognised catering qualification. Participants were recruited via social media from various Facebook catering groups. Results highlighted that attitudes and practices around food-borne illness are of an adequate level and that knowledge is being conveyed through workplace training. However, the knowledge gathered from work-based learning needs improving, to reduce the ever-growing impact of food-borne illness on the public, employers and employees. Workplace training styles provided to caterers and lack of enforcement from local authorities on what knowledge must be included in training regarding food-borne illness are the main problems resulting in the lack of awareness of food-borne illness. Recommendations include the need to change work-based training to classroom-based qualification which would require updating frequently and a law requiring this qualification before handling any foods. The need to have a set local authority enforced work-based training throughout all food business is also recommended. This would require the aid of government, food standards agency and food businesses. 
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