189 research outputs found
The effect of group-based cardiac rehabilitation models on the quality of life and exercise capacity of patients with chronic heart failure
No full textWhat a Difference Context Makes: Comparing Communication Strategies of Migration NGOs in Two Neighboring Countries
No full textThis research study compared non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in the area of migration in two neighboring countries – Bulgaria and Turkey. Utilizing in-depth interviews with 39 NGO professionals in both countries, the analysis identified critical differences in public opinion dynamics, organizational structures and interdependencies, and government relationships. Further analysis unveiled how the local socio-economic and political context had impacted NGO communication strategies as well as the specific communication channels, public engagement activities, and social media campaigns in each country. Implications for communication scholarship during times of increasing migration flows and globalization are discussed.This article is published as Dimitrova, D., Ozdora-Aksak, E., What a Difference Context Makes: Comparing Communication Strategies of Migration NGOs in Two Neighboring Countries. Journal of Borderlands Studies. 31 Dec 2022. Latest Articles. https://doi.org/10.1080/08865655.2022.2161065. Posted with permission. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way.<br
Neighborhood noise pollution as a determinant of displaced aggression: A pilot study
No full textNoise pollution is still a growing public health problem with a significant impact on psychological health and well-being. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of noise on displaced aggression (DA) in different subgroups of residents in one of the neighborhoods of Plovdiv city. A cross-sectional semi-structured interview survey was conducted using specially designed data registration forms and 33 close-ended and open-ended questions, divided into two major panels - one original and a modified version of the Displaced Aggression Questionnaire (DAQ). The mean score for DA was 61.12 (±19.97). Hearing noises above the perceived normal threshold, higher noise sensitivity and continuous noises were associated with higher levels of DA. Low frequency and high intensity noises were also associated with higher DA scores. Multiple regression model supported these findings. Contradictory to previous research age was positively correlated with noise sensitivity and aggression. We speculated that this might be due to the relatively lower socio-economic standard and quality of life in Bulgaria. Therefore, social climate might be modifying the way people perceive and react to environmental noise. Finally, the DAQ proved to be a viable measurement tool of these associations and might be further implemented and modified to suit the purposes of psychoacoustic assessment
Occupational Noise Exposure and the Risk for Work-Related Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
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Urban green spaces′ effectiveness as a psychological buffer for the negative health impact of noise pollution: A systematic review
No full textNoise pollution is one of the four major pollutions in the world. Little evidence exists about the actual preventive benefits of psychological noise attenuation by urban green spaces, especially from the perspective of environmental medicine and, to the best of our knowledge, there is not a systematic analysis on this topic. The aim of this review was to systematically evaluate whether there is conclusive scientific evidence for the effectiveness of urban green spaces as a psychological buffer for the negative impact of noise pollution on human health and to promote an evidence-based approach toward this still growing environmental hazard. MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched for experimental and epidemiological studies published before June 04, 2013 in English and Spanish. Data was independently extracted in two step process by the authors. Due to the heterogeneity of the included studies qualitative assessment was performed. We found moderate evidence that the presence of vegetation can generally reduce the negative perception of noise (supported with an electroencephalogram test in one of the experimental studies; consistent with the data from two epidemiological studies; one experiment found no effect and one was inconclusive about the positive effect). This review fills a gap in the literature and could help researchers further clarify the proper implementation of urban green spaces as a psychological buffer in areas with population exposed to chronic noise pollution
Exposure-response relationship between traffic noise and the risk of stroke: a systematic review with meta-analysis
No full textPrometna je buka rizični čimbenik za nastanak bolesti krvožilja poput povišenoga krvnog tlaka i ishemijske bolesti srca, ali su saznanja vezana uz moždani udar još uvijek ograničena. Cilj je ovoga istraživanja bio napraviti sustavni pregled epidemioloških podataka i metaanalizu rizika od moždanog udara povezanoga s izloženošću buci cestovnog i zračnog prometa. Pretraživanje je provedeno 24. studenoga 2015., a obuhvatilo je članke na engleskom, španjolskom i ruskom jeziku koji su odgovarali kriterijima pretrage u bazama MEDLINE, EMBASE i Google Scholar. Kvalitativna sinteza obuhvatila je 13 istraživanja, od kojih je 11 obuhvaćeno metaanalizom kvalitativnih učinaka. U prosjeku su svi članci bili visokokvalitetni. Na temelju rezultata šest istraživanja (n≈8.790.671 sudionik) vezanih uz buku cestovnog prometa, utvrdili smo da ukupni relativni rizik (RR) od moždanog udara prilikom porasta buke od 10 dB iznosi 1,03 (95 % CI:
0,87, 1,22). U rasponu buke od 70 do 75 dB (premaTraffic noise is an established risk factor for some cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and ischaemic heart disease, but the evidence regarding stroke is still limited. In this study we aimed to systematically review the related epidemiological data and make a meta-analysis of the risk of stroke morbidity associated with road and air traffic noise exposure. We searched articles in English, Spanish, and Russian indexed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Google Scholar on 24 November 2015. Qualitative synthesis was made for 13 studies, and 11 studies were included in quality effects meta-analyses. Overall, they were of high quality. Based on six studies (n≈8,790,671 participants) for road traffic noise, we found a pooled relative risk (RR) of stroke per 10 dB to be 1.03 (95 % CI: 0.87, 1.22). In the 70-75 dB noise range
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The role of value references in shaping cultures of engagement: evidence from COVID-19 news on Facebook in Romania and the U.K.
No full textValues are consequential for opinion formation and remain a persuasive factor in shaping public attitudes. Still, the role of values remains under-researched in the context of online news production and engagement. This study investigates the intricate role values play by analyzing patterns of value references in online news coverage of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in two culturally distinct nations, Romania and the U.K. Conceptually, the study is based on Schwartz’s value typology; methodologically, it relies on the Concept Mover’s Distance method. Analyzing half a million Facebook posts, the study identifies four types of value references: universal, cultural, topic-based, and situational. We show that cultural values prevalent in British posts, such as stimulation and tradition, resonate with the culturally congruent context. Universal values, however, do not guarantee a high level of engagement. The findings underscore the nuanced impact of values in shaping online news engagement.This article is published as Cristina Monzer, Daniela V Dimitrova, The role of value references in shaping cultures of engagement: evidence from COVID-19 news on Facebook in Romania and the U.K., Human Communication Research, Volume 51, Issue 1, January 2025, Pages 40–51, https://doi.org/10.1093/hcr/hqae021.© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of International Communication Association.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Supplementary material is available online at Human Communication Research online
Evaluation of the social and economic burden of road traffic noise-attributed myocardial infarction in Bulgarian urban population
No full textPrometna je buka pomno istražen rizični čimbenik za nastanak ishemijske bolesti srca, napose infarkta miokarda. Budući da je infarkt miokarda vodeći uzrok invalidnosti i smrtnosti u Bugarskoj te da je veliki udio urbanoga stanovništva izložen visokim razinama buke, za donošenje odluka iz područja zdravstvene ekologije i kontrole buke bitno je utvrditi koliki je taj teret bolesti povezane s prometnom bukom. Cilj našeg istraživanja bio je procijeniti teret infarkta miokarda povezanog s cestovnom bukom u bugarskom urbanom stanovništvu oslanjajući se na metodologiju Svjetske zdravstvene organizacije za procjenu tereta bolesti povezanih s okolišnom bukom. Podaci o riziku preuzeti su iz nedavno objavljene meta-analize koja daje pregled odnosa izloženosti i odgovora između cestovne buke i rizika od infarkta miokarda. Na temelju tih podataka izračunali smo udio slučajeva infarkta miokarda koji se mogu povezati s cestovnom bukom, a na temelju njih gubitak u godinama kvalitetnog života (engl. quality-adjusted life-years, krat. QALY) te ekonomski teret bolesti, uz pretpostavku da gubitak svake godine kvalitetnog života košta 12.000 eura. Rezultati su pokazali da se oko 3 % odnosno 101 slučaj infarkta miokarda može pripisati cestovnoj buci, od kojeg je njih 55 bilo kobno. Izgubljenih godina kvalitetnog života bilo je 968, a njihova ekonomska cijena iznosila je oko 11,6 milijuna eura. Premda su te procjene grube i daju tek približan uvid u stvarni teret bolesti povezane s cestovnom bukom, one ipak jasno pokazuju koliko je važan socijalni i ekonomski aspekt zagađenja okoliša bukom u Bugarskoj. Nadamo se stoga da će rezultati našeg istraživanja privući pažnju ne samo epidemiologa nego i zdravstvenih ekologa i ekonomista, s obzirom na to da se radi o iznimno važnom ekološkom problemu.Road traffic noise is a widely studied environmental risk factor for ischaemic heart disease and myocardial infarction in particular. Given that myocardial infarction is a leading disability and mortality cause in Bulgaria and that a significant proportion of the urban population is exposed to high noise levels, quantification of the burden of disease attributable to traffic noise is essential for environmental health policy making and noise control engineering. This study aimed at estimating the burden of the myocardial infarction cases attributable to road traffic noise in the Bulgarian urban population. We used the methodology for estimating the burden of disease attributable to environmental noise outlined by the World Health Organization. Risk data were extracted from a recently published meta-analysis providing updated exposure-response relationship between traffic noise and the risk for myocardial infarction. Based on these data we calculated the fraction of myocardial infarction cases attributable to traffic noise, loss of quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and the economic burden, assuming € 12,000 per QALY. About 2.9 % or 101 of all myocardial infarction cases could be attributed to road traffic noise. Fifty-five of these were fatal. Nine hundred and sixty-eight QALYs were lost to these cases. The monetary value of these QALYs was about € 11.6 million. Although the measures used in this study are crude and give only an approximation of the real burden of disease from road traffic noise, they are indicative of the important social and economic aspect of noise pollution in Bulgaria. Hopefully, these results will direct the attention of epidemiologists, environmental hygienists, and health economists to this pivotal environmental issue
Heart disease attributed to occupational noise, vibration and other co-exposure: Self-reported population-based survey among Bulgarian workers
No full textBackground: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the main mortality cause worldwide. Noise and vibration are considered to be occupational risk factors, but little is known about their cardiovascular effects in Bulgaria in terms of gender and various professional groups. The aim of this study has been to investigate the risk of prevalent CVD, associated with occupational noise and vibration exposure. Material and Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of the data from 3 waves of the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) 2001–2010 – a nationally-representative cross-sectional questionnaire survey covering 3149 workers aged ≥ 15 years in Bulgaria. Data on self-reported heart disease were linked to self-reported occupational noise and vibration, adjusting for other factors. Results from the 3 waves were pooled together using the inverse variance heterogeneity (IVhet) meta-analysis. Results: For noise, the risk was elevated among women (relative risk (RR) = 1.26, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.53–3.01), but not men (RR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.14–1.65). Long-term workers had RR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.60–1.69. For vibration, the risk was increased in all participants. It was higher among men (RR = 2.56, 95% CI: 1.60–4.09) than it was among women (RR = 1.32, 95% CI: 0.77–2.27). Among long-term, industrial, and service workers it was RR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.02–2.40; RR = 1.10, 95% CI: 0.61–1.98, and RR = 1.18, 95% CI: 0.57–2.46, respectively. Conclusions: Occupational vibration was a risk factor for prevalent heart disease in Bulgaria. Noise was an alleged risk factor only among long-term workers and women. Med Pr 2016;67(4):435–44
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