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The majority of pediatric burns in Mongolia occur within the home, particularly in the spaces dedicated to cooking. This makes home environment modification a priority for injury prevention. Many of these injuries are caused by electric appliances used in traditional tent-like dwellings (called a ger). In the present study, we designed and provided a context appropriate kitchen rack to 50 households with children aged 0-3 years living in gers and investigated parental views on the acceptability of the rack and willingness-to-pay (WTP) through face-to-face structured individual and group interviews and the contingent valuation method. We used the DCchoice package of R to estimate the median WTP and its 95% confidence interval by the household income, previous experience of childhood burn injury, and the number of children in the household. There was a total of 89 children aged

Patients with lung cancer are especially vulnerable to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with a greater than sevenfold higher rate of becoming infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) COVID-19, a greater than threefold higher hospitalization rate with high complication rates, and an estimated case fatality rate of more than 30%. The reasons for the increased vulnerability are not known. In addition, beyond the direct impact of the pandemic on morbidity and mortality among patients with lung cancer, COVID-19, with its disruption of patient care, has also resulted in substantial impact on lung cancer screening and treatment/management.COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective in people with lung cancer. On the basis of the available data, patients with lung cancer should continue their course of cancer treatment and get vaccinated against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. For unknown reasons, some patients with lung cancer mount poor antibody responses to vaccination. Thus, boosting vaccination seems urgently indicated in this subgroup of vulnerable patients with lung cancer. Nevertheless, many unanswered questions regarding vaccination in this population remain, including the magnitude, quality, and duration of antibody response and the role of innate and acquired cellular immunities for clinical protection. Additional important knowledge gaps also remain, including the following: how can we best protect patients with lung cancer from developing COVID-19, including managing care in patient with lung cancer and the home environment of patients with lung cancer; are there clinical/treatment demographics and tumor molecular demographics that affect severity of COVID-19 disease in patients with lung cancer; does anticancer treatment affect antibody production and protection; does SARS-CoV-2 infection affect the development/progression of lung cancer; and are special measures and vaccine strategies needed for patients with lung cancer as viral variants of concern emerge.

Although the association between sleep problems and suicidal behaviors were found in many studies, their associations are not built until now. One of the reasons may be the identified differences among different suicide behaviors, which also implied that sleep quality may play different roles on these suicidal behaviors. However, absent study explores the possible distinguishing associations between sleep quality and different suicidal behaviors.This is a population-based study conducted in Hebei province, China. Totally, 21,376 valid questionnaires were analyzed in this study. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to evaluate sleep quality. Suicidal behaviors, living alone, and social-demographic variables were assessed for all the participants.The prevalence of suicidal ideation, plan, and attempt were 1.4%, 0.3%, and 0.2%, respectively. The PSQI scores were separately associated with suicidal ideation (OR=1.25, p0.001), plan (OR=1.19, p0.001), and attempt (OR=1.18, p0.001). The similar results were also supported when we compared conditional suicidal behaviors with general population without any suicidal behaviors. However, when we compared suicide attempters with suicidal ideators (with or without suicide plan), the associations between PSQI scores and suicide attempt were not supported (OR=1.93, P0.05 or OR=1.02, p0.05).The cross-sectional design made us cannot get any causal relationships. The self-reported sleep quality may also produce some influence on the results.The results imply us that improving sleep quality may be not effective to control further suicidal behaviors, when people have considered or planned to suicide. The findings also can be translated into the clinical and preventive practice for suicide control.

Background Research has demonstrated dietary quality benefits of family meals and meals prepared at home. Less is known about associations between the proportion of family evening meals made at home and key personal, behavioral, and environmental characteristics. Moreover, most studies often measure these data retrospectively. Objective The objective of this study is to describe the proportion of evening meals made at home measured in real time and to assess associations between personal, behavioral, and environmental characteristics that are associated with a higher proportion of evening meals prepared and consumed at home. Design This study is a cross-sectional secondary analysis of baseline data collected during 2017 and 2018 from the New Ulm at Home study, a randomized controlled trial conducted in rural Minnesota to evaluate the effectiveness of a childhood obesity prevention program for school-aged children. Participants/setting The present study analyzes a subset of the New Ulm at Home trial data from families (N = 108) who completed at least four evening meal screeners collected in real time with ecological momentary assessment technology over a 2-week period. Main outcome measure The main outcome measure was the proportion of family evening meals made at home, calculated using two cutpoints (≤50% of evening meals prepared at home vs >50%; ≤70% vs >70%). Statistical analysis Descriptive statistics were used to describe the proportion of evening meals prepared at home. Logistic regression analyses adjusted for parent education were used to assess associations between family characteristics and the two different proportions of meals made at home. Results Most family evening meals were prepared and eaten at home (62%). Logistic regression models indicated meal planning skills (odds ratio=1.19, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.39) and mealtime routines (odds ratio=1.20, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.40) were significantly associated with odds of preparing more than 50% of evening meals at home. Only meal planning skills (odds ratio=1.27, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.51) was significantly associated with odds of preparing more than 70% of evening meals at home. Conclusions Study findings indicated mealtime routines and meal planning skills were associated with preparing more than 50% of evening meals at home, but only meal planning skills were associated with preparing more than 70% of evening meals at home, which may suggest the importance of adapting interventions for families. Future research should build on these findings in randomized controlled trials.

Background: The initial aim was to study the effects of face masks worn by recently infected individuals on the airborne spread of SARS-CoV-2, but findings motivated us to proceed with comparing the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in air samples near infected individuals at home with those near infected intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Aim: To assess the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the air of homes of infected individuals and in ICU rooms of critically ill patients with COVID-19 who were undergoing different forms of potential aerosol-generating medical procedures. Methods: A high-volume air sampler method was developed that used a household vacuum cleaner with surgical face masks serving as sample filters. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was harvested from these filters and analysed by polymerase chain reaction. Fog experiments were performed to visualize the airflow around the air sampler. Air samples were acquired in close proximity of infected individuals, with or without wearing face masks, in their homes. Environmental air samples remote from these infected individuals were also obtained, plus samples near patients in the ICU undergoing potential aerosol-generating medical procedures. Findings: Wearing a face mask resulted in a delayed and reduced flow of the fog into the air sampler. Face masks worn by infected individuals were found to contain SARS-CoV-2 RNA in 71% of cases. SARS-CoV-2 was detected in air samples regardless of mask experiments. The proportion of positive air samples was higher in the homes (29/41; 70.7%) than in the ICU (4/17; 23.5%) (P < 0.01). Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 RNA could be detected in air samples by using a vacuum cleaner based air sampler method. Air samples in the home environment of recently infected individuals contained SARS-CoV-2 RNA nearly three times more frequently by comparison with those obtained in ICU rooms during potential aerosol-generating medical procedures.

Summary Context The administration of immune checkpoints inhibitors (ICIs) within hospitalization at home (HaH) organizations is an interesting alternative to conventional care. Three surveys were carried out to describe the different organizational models of French HaHs and criteria used by physicians in patient selection. Methods Three surveys were conducted between April 1 and August 31, 2020. The first one was addressed to all French HaHs, and the two others to public HaHs and oncologists treating patients with solid cancer in the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region. Results Overall, 54 French HaHs and 23 oncologists participated to the study. The health professionals involved in the patients’ care were very heterogeneous, although in 92% of cases, the treatment prescription was made by the oncologist. HaH physicians were more involved in clinical assessment the day before treatment (19% vs. 0%), treatment validation (56% vs. 15%), and treatment prescription (19% vs. 0%), while nurses were better equipped (emergency kit available in 81% versus 50% of cases) when HaHs did carry out ICIs compared to when they did not. Most oncologists agreed that age, neuropsychiatric disorders, home environment, as well as treatment duration and good tolerance should be considered in patient selection. ECOG PS status and treatment response were less consensually considered. Conclusion These results highlight the variability in French HaH organizations and patient selection criteria for employing ICIs at home. This study resulted in recommendations for administrating ICIs in HaH settings, which will likely be instrumental in further promoting this activity across France.

The bedside encounter between a patient and physician remains the cornerstone of the practice of medicine. However, physicians and trainees spend less time in direct contact with patients and families in the modern health care system. The current pandemic has further threatened time spent with patients. This lack of time has led to a decline in clinical skills and a decrease in the number of faculty members who are confident in teaching at the bedside. We offer several strategies to get physicians and trainees back to the bedside to engage in clinical skills teaching and assessment. We recommend that providers pause before bedside encounters to be present with patients and learners and to develop clear goals for a bedside teaching session. We suggest that clinical teachers practice an evidence-based approach, which includes an hypothesis-driven physical examination. We encourage the use of point-of-care technology to assist in diagnosis and to allow learners to calibrate traditional physical examination skills with real-time visualization of disease. Tools like point-of-care ultrasound scans can be powerful levers to get learners excited about bedside teaching and to engage patients in their clinical care. We value telemedicine visits as unique opportunities to engage with patients in their home environment and to participate in patient-directed physical examination maneuvers. Finally, we recommend that educators provide feedback to learners on specific clinical examination skills, whether in the clinic, the wards, or during dedicated clinical skills assessments.

Purpose To quantify the association of visual field (VF) damage on physical activity away-from-home, per away-from-home excursion, and at-home. Design Prospective cohort study. Methods Among 229 participants with glaucoma or suspected glaucoma, the severity of VF damage was defined as average sensitivity within the integrated VF (IVF). Participants wore accelerometers and global positioning system trackers for 7 days to measure physical activity and characterize activity location. Multivariable negative binomial regressions were used to test whether away-from-home activity per day, physical activity per away-from-home excursion, and at-home activity per day varied by the severity of VF damage. Results Each 5-dB decrement in IVF sensitivity was associated with a lower number of away-from-home activities per day (18% less moderate and vigorous physical activity [MVPA] minutes/d, 95% confidence interval, 0.69-0.97) and physical activities per away-from-home excursion (20% less MVPA minutes/excursion, 95% confidence interval, 0.65-0.98). Similar findings were noted for other away-from-home activity measures (including active minutes/steps per day, or active minutes/steps per excursion). However, worse IVF sensitivity was not associated with measures of at-home activities (MVPA minutes/d, active minutes/d, and steps/d), time spent at or away from home, or excursions/wk (P > .1 for all). Conclusions Restriction of physical activity in more patients with severe glaucoma results mostly from activity restriction outside the home environment. These findings highlight the importance of maintaining a safe home environment (where activity is less restricted) and increasing confidence to perform activity, particular high-intensity activity, when leaving the home amongst patients with glaucoma.

Background Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practices have been established in home health care. Adherence to IPC practices has been suboptimal with limited available evidence. The study aim was to examine the impact of individual, home environment, and organizational factors on IPC practices using human factors model. Methods Three hundred and fifty-three nurses were surveyed across two large home care agencies to examine the relationship between IPC adherence and individual, home environment, and organizational factors. Results Nurses reported multiple barriers to IPC practices in patients’ homes (mean = 4.34, standard deviation = 2.53). Frequent barriers included clutter (reported by 74.5% of nurses) and a dirty environment (70.3%). Nurses also reported limited availability of some IPC supplies (mean = 7.76, standard deviation = 2.44), including personal protective equipment. Home environment factors were significant barriers, and availability of IPC supplies were significant enablers of IPC adherence. Agency-provided training and decision-making resources were not significant factors for IPC adherence in the presence of home environment barriers and IPC supplies. Conclusions This study findings suggest that IPC adherence strategies point to addressing barriers in the home environment and increasing availability of IPC supplies. The relationship between the patient's home environment, organizational factors, and IPC practices among home health care nurses warrants further study.

The present study aimed to explore the modifiable factors of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) among patients residing at home in terms of patient, caregiver and environmental factors. A cross-sectional survey of 193 patients with dementia residing at home and their caregivers who visited the memory clinic of the Department of Neurology in a tertiary (the highest level) hospital in China from November 2018 to May 2019 was performed. Exacerbated BPSD were associated with patient (old age, high education level, increased dementia severity, and the use of psychotropic drugs), caregiver (low positive aspects and high expressed emotion) and environmental (poor home environment) factors. The use of psychotropic drugs by the patient, positive aspects and expressed emotions of the caregiver, and home environment were modifiable factors that provided evidence for the direction of intervention for BPSD among patients residing at home.

We examined the interplay between familial risk and the quality of the home environment and the intermediate role of cognitive functioning in the development of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Participants were 99 boys and their parents (M age = 7.34 years, SD = 0.23), who have been followed longitudinally since birth; 62 participants were followed until adolescence (M age = 13.5 years, SD = 0.95). We found that differential susceptibility to home environment in early childhood predicted the cognitive functioning (decreased executive function [EF] and increased intrasubject variability [ISV]) at elementary-school age. Specifically, in a lower quality home environment, those at high familial risk showed poor cognitive functioning (i.e., low EF and high ISV) at elementary-school age but under a supportive environment showed high cognitive functioning (i.e., high EF and low ISV), outperforming their peers at low familial risk. Moreover, child EF, but not ISV, was involved in a developmental path leading to an ADHD phenotype; it was found to mediate the relation between the early risk level (i.e., the interaction between familial risk and home environment) and child ADHD symptoms. A preliminary analysis suggests that EF may have a longitudinal effect on ADHD symptoms in adolescence; after controlling for the level of symptoms at elementary-school age, children with low levels of EF showed a significant increase in their symptoms over time. In general, our results propose a plausible mechanism that explains how the familial risk for ADHD could be translated into actual symptoms among children, at least in the case of boys.

Introduction: Most of the burns in children occur at home.The aim: The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between the home environment and chosen parameters of burns in children. Methods: The survey was conducted among caregivers of 200 children (80 girls and 120 boys) who were below 18 years of age and hospitalized due to burns in 5 Polish hospitals. Results: Most often burn injuries occurred in the home environment (85,5%): patient’s house (76,5%), neighbor’s house (2%), or relative’s house (7%). In all, 65% of children were living in the urban areas. Burns were more extensive in children from nonurban areas (p = 0,016). Analyzing of the number of people living with the child in the same household revealed that children living only with their mother were hospitalized longer than children from bigger families (p 0,05). Conclusions: The home environment was related to analyzed parameters of burns in children. The preventive programs should increase the awareness of caregivers about the safe arrangement of housing space.

Some mature male dogs often or almost always raise a hind limb to urinate, whereas others do so rarely or never. Previously, the largest studies exploring this behavior have focused on observations made in animal shelters. This study sought to use a citizen science approach to enable owners to report their observations of their male dogs in the home environment. A survey was devised using Google Forms and distributed via social media (Facebook, Reddit) asking owners to report the castration status, age, urination posture preference, and geographical region of their male dog(s). The survey was open from 31 March 2020 until 7 April 2020 and received 120 responses. Results were tabulated and analyzed in Google Sheets and using online statistical calculators. Approximately 76% of dogs were castrated, with contributors located in Australia/New Zealand (24%), Europe/the United Kingdom (22%), Asia (22%), and North America (32%). Many owners reported that their dog never raised a leg to urinate (n = 36, 30%) or had no clear preference (ambilaterality) for right or left hind limb during urination (n = 20, 17%), whereas other owners reported a moderate-to-strong preference for raising the left hind limb (n = 21, 18%) or the right hind limb (n = 43, 36%) during urination. Of the 36 dogs that never raised a hind limb to urinate, 33 were castrated (92%). The survey results indicated that castration was negatively associated with raised-leg urination (RLU) and that in dogs with an appreciable right or left preference for RLU, the right hind limb was raised by more male dogs than the left hind limb; however, most dogs were at least occasionally ambilateral with respect to RLU behavior. There was no statistically significant difference between age categories with respect to urination posture.

Objective This study aims to understand the characteristics of houses and the behavior of residents in malaria endemic areas carried out on the islands of Jampea, Selayar Islands. Methods The method study used the observational method using an observation sheet. Results The results showed that there are still many people who less concerned with malaria problems than being supported by home environment that is fully related to water inundation and the dwelling population that dense. Conclusion Therefore, it is important to improve the strategy for optimizing the implementation of supervision in the region by the local government.

Discrepancies in early mathematical knowledge between children from different socioeconomic backgrounds have been found before the start of kindergarten. The early home environment is one context that can address these discrepancies. This study examined whether an informal mathematical activity that has been successful at promoting children’s numerical knowledge could be translated into a home activity for families from lower-income backgrounds. Families from Head Start programs (n = 39) were randomly assigned to play either a numerical magnitude comparison game or a shape and color matching game. Results showed that playing the numerical magnitude comparison game did not improve children’s numerical knowledge, although playing the shape and color matching game did improve children’s shape knowledge. However, parental reports of the frequency of game playing at home related to children’s learning from both games. Analyses of audio recordings of the families playing the games at home revealed there was wide variability in how parents assisted the children during the card game play. Results are discussed in terms of the benefits and challenges of mathematical interventions targeting the home context.

Although numerous systems for sleep quality assessment are available on the market nowadays, they usually fail due to two main reasons. First, their sleep quality assessment is not based on scientific evidence. Second, many of these systems require additional hardware to identify the sleep state, thus becoming expensive and impractical. We address the first problem by proposing a novel concept, called SleepAge, which considers the relationship between age and sleep quality and then estimates the sleep pattern to evaluate the sleep quality. This concept relies on age because it is generally available from health records and is an objective parameter that can be easily updated. As sounds such as snoring, bruxism, and body movements can reflect sleep patterns, we address the second problem by recording these sounds using a smartphone. We also apply a novel method for data collection that considers participants from a wide range of ages over long recording periods in home environments. Therefore, we can model normal sleep patterns for different age groups. Moreover, we estimate SleepAge from the large repository of sound dataset using various deep learning models. To this end, sound data are represented as spectrograms, and state-of-the-art deep learning models are used for SleepAge estimation. Experimental results indicate accurate estimation, and a network pretrained on different images further enhances the estimation accuracy of unseen data.

The quality of the home environment is linked to children's development and learning. In early childhood, the ways that parents construct the home environment has been linked to school readiness outcomes, yet limited research has investigated the extent to which the quality of the home environment is stable or changes across the transition to school or whether this stability or change is related to children's outcomes. The current study examined the continuity and change in the level of the quality of the home environment across ages 3–and 5 and its association with school readiness outcomes (i.e., attention regulation, language skills, social–emotional skills) at age 5. Data for this study came from four waves (baseline, age 3, 5 and 9) of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study, which includes 4898 children (52.4% male) and their primary caregivers. Twenty one percent of the mothers for the total sample were White, 47% were Black, 27% were Hispanic, and 4% identified as other. Sixty five percent of mothers had an education level of high school or less, 24% completed some college, 11% had a college degree or higher. Results indicated that there was not stability in the quality of the home environment between the ages of 3 and 5. In addition, higher quality home environments at age 3 and change in the quality of the home environment predicted greater gains in children's attention regulation, language, and social emotional competence. The importance of early environments for children's school readiness and potential implications for future research, policy, and interventions designed to promote healthy development in early childhood are discussed.

The home environment and caregiver interactions have an impact on infant development. However, there is a paucity of research surrounding the home environment and its relation to early feeding outcomes within the first year of life. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the home environment and infant bottle feeding outcomes at 3 and 12 months of age.Seventy-two full-term infants completed this study at 3 months of age and fifty-five infants completed the study at 12 months. Data in the current study were collected from a larger, ongoing study completed in the infant's home at 3 and 12 months of age. The Infant-Toddler Home Observation for Measurement of Environment Inventory (IT-HOME) was utilized to assess the infant's home environment. The Oral Feeding Skills (OFS) scale was completed while the infant was observed during a bottle feed. Caregivers completed a questionnaire about their infant's feeding abilities via the Neonatal Eating Assessment Tool (Neo-EAT) at 3 months and Pediatric Eating Assessment Tool (Pedi-EAT) at 12 months.At 3 months of age, the IT-HOME Involvement subscale was associated with an increase in the amount of milk provided in the infant's bottle. There were no significant associations between the IT-HOME and caregiver report of feeding at 3 months of age. At 12 months of age, the IT-HOME Acceptance subscale was associated with an increase in oral transfer rate and the IT-HOME Variety subscale was associated with a decrease in oral transfer rate. Additionally, the IT-HOME Organization subscale was associated with caregiver report of feeding on the following Pedi-EAT scales: Mealtime Behaviors, Selective Restrictive Eating, and Oral Processing at 12 months.These findings reveal that the home environment is significantly related to different infant bottle feeding outcomes over the first year of life. At 3 months, IT-HOME Involvement was associated with the amount of milk offered in the bottle, whereas at 12 months of age, subscales of the IT-HOME were associated with oral feeding transfer rate and caregiver report of feeding. Clinically, these findings point to the importance of considering the infant's bottle feeding skills in conjunction with certain aspect within the infant's environment. Additional research is needed to further explore these relationships in greater detail, with a larger sample size and across patient populations.

We studied home environment exposures in relation to asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis among offspring of participants (parents) in the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE) study (age ≤ 30 y). Totally 17,881 offspring from Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Estonia were included. Home environment exposures, including dampness and mold, type of dwelling, construction year and indoor painting were registered through a questionnaire answered by parents in the first follow up (RHINE II). The parents reported ten years later with in the frame of RHINE III offspring's birth year and offspring's asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis. They also reported dampness and mold at home from RHINE II to RHINE III. The prevalence of offspring's asthma before 10 y, asthma after 10 y, allergic rhinitis at any age and atopic dermatitis at any age were 9.7 %, 4.3 %, 15.6 % and 17.3 %, respectively. Asthma before 10 y was related to any indoor painting at RHINE II (OR = 1.14, 95%CI (1.02, 1.29)). Asthma after 10 y was associated with dampness/mold at home (OR = 1.33–1.62) and living in the newest buildings (constructed in 1986–2001) (OR = 1.30, 95%CI (1.02, 1.66)). Allergic rhinitis was associated with living in newer buildings (constructed in 1961–2001) (OR = 1.16–1.24). Atopic dermatitis was associated with visible mold (OR = 1.35, 95%CI(1.12, 1.62)), dampness/mold at home (OR = 1.18–1.38), living in apartments (OR = 1.22, 95%CI(1.10, 1.35)) and living in newer buildings (constructed in 1961–2001) (OR = 1.14–1.25). There were dose-response effects of dampness and mold on offspring's asthma after 10 y and atopic dermatitis (20 years exposure vs. 10 years exposure). Older offspring had increased risk of developing asthma after 10 y and atopic dermatitis. In conclusion, home dampness and mold, living in apartments, living in newer buildings and indoor painting were associated with offspring's asthma or allergic diseases. Stronger health effects were found among offspring with prolonged exposure of dampness/mold. publishedVersion

Extensive research has shown comprehensive early intervention can improve the developmental outcomes of disadvantaged children. However, little is known about the effectiveness of center-based programs for infants and toddlers; relatively rare in the developing world and typically of low quality. This paper reports effects from a randomized trial of a center-based early care intervention on infants and toddlers in two communities in northern Colombia. Just eight months into the program results indicate large positive effects on language, cognitive development and overall development, with girls benefitting the most. No effects were observed for nutritional outcomes, socio-emotional development or the home environment.

Few studies exist from China on associations between home environment and adult health. We studied associations between home environment factors (other than dampness and mould) and rhinitis, throat and dermal symptoms and headache and fatigue among young parents in six cities across China (N = 36,541). They were recruited as parents from day care centers selected randomly and answered a questionnaire on medical symptoms and the home environment. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated by multilevel logistic regression adjusting for gender, atopy, smoking, home size and dampness/mould. Overall, 4.8% had skin symptoms 3.1% rhinitis, 2.8% eye, 4.1% throat symptoms, 3.0% headache and 13.9% had fatigue (all as weekly symptoms). Redecoration was associated with rhinitis, eye and skin symptoms, headache and fatigue. New furniture was associated with eye, throat and skin symptoms and fatigue. Gas cooking was associated with eye and throat symptoms, headache and fatigue. Biomass cooking was associated with eye and throat symptoms and headache. Burning incense was associated with eye, throat and skin symptoms, headache and fatigue. Presence of cockroaches and mosquitos or flies was associated with all six symptoms. Rats or mice were associated with eye and dermal symptoms. Cat keeping was associated with eye symptoms while dog keepers had less fatigue. Living near major roads was associated with rhinitis, eye, throat and skin symptoms and fatigue. Daily cleaning, a mechanical ventilation system in the kitchen or in the bathroom, living in older buildings and living in less urbanized areas were protective factors. In conclusion, urbanization, traffic exhaust, indoor emissions from redecoration and new furniture, gas cooking and air pollution from burning incense and biomass may cause dermal and mucosal symptoms, headache and fatigue among adults in China. Indoor animals (cats, mice/rats, cockroaches) were other risk factors. Daily cleaning, mechanical ventilation and living in older buildings can be protective.

Unhealthy eating habits have long term health implications and can begin at a young age when children still consume the majority of their meals at home. As parents are the principal agents of change in children's eating behaviours, the home environment is the logical location for the delivery of interventions targeting healthy family eating. Despite the recent proliferation of published studies of behaviour-change interventions delivered in the home, there has been little attempt to evaluate what makes such interventions successful. This review provides a systematic evaluation of all healthy eating interventions delivered to families in the home environment to date and seeks to identify the successful elements of these interventions and make recommendations for future work. Thirty nine studies are described, evaluated and synthesised. Results show that evidence- and theory-based interventions tended to be more successful than those that did not report detailed formative or evaluative work although details of theory application were often lacking. Careful analysis of the results did not show any further systematic similarities shared by successful interventions. Recommendations include the need for more clearly theoretically driven interventions, consistent approaches to measuring outcomes and clarity regarding target populations and desired outcomes.

The purpose of this study was to examine the ways in which actual (e.g., density) and perceived (e.g., crowding and distance) elements of the spatial home environment act as predictors of family functioning. Data were gathered from 164 families whose child was attending a university's preschool/kindergarten facility in a mid-sized community in the Western United States. Structural equation modeling (SEM, AMOS 19.0) was employed to examine the strength of the relations within the model. Results showed that though actual elements of the home (i.e., density) affect family functioning outcomes, perceptions of the home environment (e.g., crowding and distance) were especially influential as mediating the link between density and aspects of family functioning. Findings suggest that how individuals perceive their home environment has more of an effect on family functioning than actual home characteristics.

This paper presents an in-home design study investigating the resource conservation strategies of 40 frugal households located across urban and regional Australia. The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the method of design to explore the home environment, discussing how this approach may benefit researchers looking to investigate the home. We provide a reflexive account of the design process undertaken in this study, and present a discussion into the benefits of using this approach. The contribution of this paper reflects on two main aspects: 1) Designing for the culture of the home; and 2) Using design to encourage participant agency and self-reflection.

An unexpected change in reward quantity or quality frequently elicits a sharp decrease of responses as well as a negative emotional state. This phenomenon is called successive negative contrast (SNC) and, although it has been observed in numerous mammals, results in dogs have been inconsistent. The aim of this study was to evaluate SNC in dogs, comparing the effects of rewards of different qualities in a non-social task carried out in the dogs? usual environment. Dogs were separated into two experimental groups that experienced a downshift from a high quality reward (liver or sausage) to a low quality one (dry food), as well as a control group that always received dry food. The task involved a dog toy with bone shaped pieces that had to be removed to get the food hidden underneath. When the reward changed from liver to dry food, dogs picked up significantly fewer bones than the control group. However, this effect was not observed with sausage. Results show SNC in dogs in a non-social task carried out in their home environment. Additionally, the importance of the discrepancy in the hedonic value of the rewards is highlighted. Fil: Dzik, Marina Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas; Argentina Fil: Cavalli, Camila María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas; Argentina Fil: Iglesias, M.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina Fil: Bentosela, Mariana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas; Argentina

There is concern that the emergence of e-cigarettes could result in an increase in young people's intake of, and exposure to, nicotine. This UK study used friendship group interviews to elicit the perspectives of young people from socioeconomically contrasting backgrounds regarding e-cigarettes. Young people from both advantaged and disadvantaged backgrounds described similar e-cigarette practices in the home environment, and, for both health and sensory reasons, viewed these as preferable to tobacco smoking. Space-related practices of adult e-cigarette use in the home were revealed to be more malleable than those of tobacco use. Results also highlighted that e-cigarettes offered young people new opportunities for nicotine consumption in the home. Methods of storing e-cigarettes in domestic spaces posed safety risks to younger children and easy access to e-cigarettes for others.

Horses are routinely transported for access to safe off-road riding, veterinary care, breeding, sale, or moving to a new home environment. However, transport is a known stressor in horses. For this reason, problem behavior when loading is a commonly reported issue, which presents risks to handlers and horse welfare. Existing literature and manufacturers' recommendations suggests that alpha-casozepine may be effective in improving the behavior and welfare of horses during loading onto a vehicle for transport. The present article aims to assess the behavioral and physiological effects of a commercially available alpha-casozepine feed supplement (Zylkene Equine) in horses during loading and confinement on a transport lorry. Subjects (n = 10) were loaded once with the supplement and once without, in a balanced random order with each subject acted as their own control. The handler was blind to treatment. Time to load onto the lorry, and movement of feet, licking and chewing, and vocalizing within the lorry were recorded as behavioral indicators of compliance and coping. Heart rate, heart rate variability, salivary cortisol, and infrared thermography of both core temperature and the discrepancy between eyes, were measured as indicators of arousal. There were no significant differences in physiology between treatment and control (P > 0.05). Treatment resulted in a significantly shorter loading time than control (P = 0.04); however, the actual difference in median time was only 0.45 seconds. No other behavioral indicator differed between treatment and control (P > 0.05). Power analysis revealed the sample was sufficient to detect a significant effect. Where modest effects were observed for a small number of variables, treatment effect contradicted predictions. Taken together, this indicates that alpha-casozepine does not affect a horse's ability to cope with loading and confinement in a horse lorry. Further work is required to ascertain whether the maximum dosage—twice that used here—might affect coping and behavior in horses.

There is a limited exploration in the literature of how young people’s educational outcomes respond to unexpected events or adversities in their home environment. Given the concerns about uneven educational trajectories of young people in low-income countries, such an investigation may be valuable. We analyze Young Lives data from India to contribute to this literature. We observe that over the years youth enrollment and grade attainment decline and several of them experience adversities in the form of economic loss and death and illness of a parent. Males experience similar levels of adversities as females, but their educational outcomes are generally superior to females in their cohort. Individual fixed-effects regression results indicate male enrollment is associated negatively with death of a parent. Overall however we find limited significant associations between the adversities and educational outcomes we focus on. We conclude the paper with our study’s limitation and way forward for future research.

Early literacy skills play an important role in children’s success in school. Especially important to better literacy skills may be the quality of the classroom environment (emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support) across the early years of schooling. This study used an a priori threshold of quality approach to understanding the possible link between the number of years of better classroom quality over four years, from kindergarten through third grade, in relation to children’s literacy skills by third grade. This study examined a representative sample of 1292 children followed from birth who lived in low-wealth rural counties in the United States. These children were followed into school with classroom observations conducted each year from kindergarten through third grade and literacy related achievement measures in pre-kindergarten and third grade. Findings suggested that even after controlling for poverty related variables, the quality of the home environment, school entry literacy skills, and teacher rated literacy instruction, children who had more years of better classroom quality had higher third grade literacy scores. Additionally, we found an interaction effect, suggesting that children who entered kindergarten with lower emergent literacy skills benefited more from a greater number of years of better classroom quality in relation to reading comprehension in third grade. Thus, more years of better classroom quality may help in narrowing the gap between those who enter kindergarten with higher literacy skills and those who enter with lower literacy skills.

With the increasing use of the internet and dependence on the internet itself, resulting in more and more systems being developed to make the devices, such as computers/laptops, smartphones/tablets, and other devices can be integrated with each other. Internet of Things, is one of the concepts of technology that seeks the integration between these devices. IoT can be used in many fields, for example for smart cities, industrial, medical, and one of the biggest is its use in the home. One example of implementing IoT on smart home is its application to control household appliances, such as air conditioners, light, TVs, and others. From the results of further research, a smart socket with mobile application was developed that can help people to be able to control electronical devices at home. Smart socket designed using Arduino microcontroller. The system created allows users to control the devices for each socket, doesn’t control for one power strip. With this system, it can reduce exccessive use of electricity as a result forgot to shut down.

Background Vulnerable patients being cared for in hospital-at-home settings require safe disinfection of their medical devices, including nebulisers and other respiratory equipment. The scale of patients now being cared for in hospital-at-home settings as a result of COVID19 places huge pressure on hospital central sterile services departments (CSSDs) to provide consumable items to safely support such patients' care. This places new importance on the disinfection of mundane objects, including crockery, cutlery and frequently touched objects in the home environment. This study examined temperature performance of steam disinfectors and the consequences of potential operator misuse on the survival of 62 bacteria and yeast organisms. Methods Thermal performance of steam disinfectors was evaluated using calibrated thermocouple probes in multiple permutations of device usage with 62 test organisms. Results Thermocouple data demonstrated disinfection A0 values of 6000 (upper layer) and 60 (lower layer). Steam disinfection of baby bottles had a thermal lethality of at least A0 = 600. Variation in disinfector temperatures were noted, depending on the geometric location of thermocouples. Additional notable temperature reductions occurred with device underfilling with suboptimal water volumes. Steam disinfection eradicated all 62 non-spore-forming Gram-positive, Gram-negative and yeast organisms tested and eradicated all organisms in the inner teat space of contaminated babies' dummies, rendering safe steam disinfection of babies' dummies. Conclusion Domestic steam disinfection offers an inexpensive, simple, versatile and widely available technology for the elimination of common non-spore-forming nosocomial pathogens and safe disinfection of medical devices, fomites and other mundane objects within the hospital-at-home scenario, thereby enhancing patient safety.

An evident repercussion of COVID-19 on the organization of work has been a shift to telework. However, the challenges and benefits for employees induced by telework and lessons for its sustainable future are less documented. Acknowledging the current significance of telework and its potential role in the future, we first elicit information on the most important benefits and challenges of telework across men and women and subsequently propose policies for a smooth adoption and a sustainable future of telework. Based on 222 survey responses from the US and Japan collected online in the second quarter of 2020 employing Qualtrics, we find that both men and women equally report enhanced challenges caused by teleworking. The most frequently cited challenges include work concentration issues, infrastructural gaps, employee coordination and communication difficulties, and longer working hours. On the benefits side, more men than women report a comfortable home environment, minimal direct supervision, money saved on the commute, and fewer work meetings, as key benefits of telework. Given the common challenges across men and women, work organizations need to be proactive in designing policies for a smooth transition to telework and minimizing the divide among workers. In this regard, we propose the following policies. First, quick and extensive investments in infrastructure and technology necessary for telework and its dissemination should be prioritized by organizations. Second, HR divisions need to be more active than ever to reskill and upskill the workforce with digital abilities and artificial intelligence (AI), as these are essential for telework. Third, organizations need to utilize digital tools and devise new systems to minimize work-related coordination and communication issues, promote employee engagement through innovative tools, and most importantly, ensure indirect but empathetic employee supervision. We believe a combination of these policies can achieve a sustainable future of telework while bridging the digital divide among workers.

With the increasing prevalence of autistic individuals, it is greatly needed to examine the factors impacting their community participation experiences. Where autistic adults live and how that may be related to their participation and quality of life is one environmental factor that has received little attention.This study explored the association between living arrangements in the community and community participation for autistic adults.This study used data from a statewide survey of autistic adults (N = 744) to investigate the relationship between living arrangements (live alone with or without support, live with roommate/spouse, or live with family) and the amount, breadth, and sufficiency of community participation.After controlling for sociodemographic and clinical factors known to be associated with community participation, autistic adults living with family members participated less frequently in community activities over 30 days than those living with a roommate/spouse. However, they experienced similar levels of sufficiency with their participation. Autistic adults living alone with support reported the lowest levels of sufficiency with their participation, although the amount and breadth of their participation were no different from other adults.These findings have several implications for providing support to enable autistic adults to participate in the areas that are important to them and to the extent they desire. Future research is needed to gain a better understanding of how interests and expectations for participation may be influenced by living situations.

Parrish et al.'s (2021) investigation of caregiver perceptions of preschoolers' physical activity (PA) within the home environment posits important opportunities for public policy to consider space and available opportunities for PA for preschoolers. This study uncovered qualitative themes on preschoolers' PA in the home, referencing the use of indoor and outdoor spaces, adaptations within the home, interplay between space and caregiving, and variability in child's PA. This work sparks a discussion into the current understanding of the home environment for preschooler PA and future research directions. We propose three main areas to bring forward physical activity and public health research, including 1) role of policies and community (e.g., societal norms) on the home environment and child physical activity, 2) reimagination of the home environment beyond the physical components as a complex system, and 3) advanced measurement of child physical activity using modern technology. Merging these new opportunities with past efforts may help design and facilitate healthier PA and movement patterns for preschoolers now and into the future.

Home drinking contributes substantially to health harms associated with alcohol consumption. Drawing on practice theory and new materialism, we argue that drinking is a social practice that allows particular sets of effects, or affordances, when it takes place in a person's home. Qualitative interviews were conducted by telephone with 40 Australian adult home drinkers, of whom 20 drank at a level designated as low risk and 20 at a level which exposed them to a higher likelihood of harm. Our analyses identified four substantive affordances of home drinking practice. The first two concern transformations of home life. Home drinking allowed both celebration and smoothing of dissatisfaction with domestic relationships. Through producing subtly different affective states at home compared to in other locations, drinking practice rendered domestic settings home-like: as places of comfort and respite. The second two affordances of home drinking concern how home as a place acts in the co-constitution of drinking patterns. This entailed routinising alcohol consumption alongside other home-based practices and loosening constraints on intoxication. Importantly for our argument, each of these operated with greater intensity for participants who drank at a heavier level than for those who drank more moderately. For example, heavy drinkers expressed a greater imperative to alter relationships and affective states at home and emphasised how being at home produced opportunities for, and removed obstacles to, heavy drinking. We show that home drinking is patterned with other activities and entwined in domestic wellbeing and the emergence of home as a space of privacy, autonomy and relaxation for Australians in our study sample. Understanding home drinking as deeply embedded in the constitution of contemporary western domestic life helps to explain heavy alcohol consumption in these settings. It also supports the need for targeted public health responses such as restrictions on home delivery of alcohol.

We report the resolution of COVID-19 related symptoms in 6 days in two moderate to high risk COVID-19 patients (CDC, 2020) treated with nebulized 0.5 ml 11 mM LA every 4 hours around the clock for 7 days in an outpatient setting. The lipid potassium salt LA is Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) by the FDA (Food Additive). We report that in vitro testing of LA 4.4-50.2 mM showed 99% kill-rate of COVID-19 in 2 minutes. Pulmonary symptoms resolved and pulse oximetry levels normalized within the same week of symptom onset, returning to their normal marital relations on day 6. This compares to the median recovery time of two weeks from onset of symptoms for mild, and three to six weeks for severe COVID-19 cases (WHO, 2020). LA with its capacity to provide an affordable intervention within a home environment deserves further study to determine if it reduces severity, length of symptoms, and complications of COVID-19.

This study investigated the relationship between Home Environment and Students’ Academic Performance in Biology in Senior Secondary School in Calabar Municipality Local Government Area of Cross River State. Four hypotheses were formulated with the following variables parental financial status and academic performance of students, parental marital status and student academic performance, parent educational background and student academic performance, and parent attitude towards their children education and students’ academic performance. Literature was reviewed based on the variables, ex-post facto research design was adopted for the study, a questionnaire was constructed and administered to five secondary schools in Calabar Municipality consisting of fourty (40) students each and a total of two hundred (200) students were randomly selected for the purpose of collecting data to test the hypotheses. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Statistics was used to test these hypotheses. The hypotheses were tested at 198 degree of freedom and at 0.05 level of significant. The following findings emerged. There was no significant relationship between parent financial status and student academic performance, there was a significant relationship between parent marital status and student academic performance. There was significant relationship between parent educational background and student academic performance, there is significant relationship between parent attitude towards their children education and students academic performance in Biology in secondary schools in Calabar Municipality. Based on these, it was recommended among others that parents should learn to live together and bring up their children with love.

We estimate effects of center-based care on parenting activities using time use data for Germany. Our estimates imply that center-based care reduces the overall time that parents spend with the enrolled child, but has only small negative effects on time spent doing activities together. Correspondingly, center-based care increases activities as a share of the time spent together with the child. The overall effect is driven by households with lower maternal education. Our findings imply that child development effects of center-based care may be explained, not just by the institutional environment, but also by changes that occur within the home environment.

Objectives : We examined the association between social frailty and depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Additionally, we investigated whether home exercise habits moderated the impact of social frailty on depressive symptoms. Methods : This cross-sectional study included 1,103 community-dwelling older adults (54.0% female, mean age [standard deviation] = 81.1 [5.0] years) from a semi-urban area of Japan who completed a mailed questionnaire survey in October 2020. Social frailty status was categorized as non-social frailty, pre-social frailty, and social frailty, which was assessed by financial difficulties, living alone, lack of social activity, and contact with neighbors. Depressive symptoms were defined as a Kessler 6 score ≥5. We performed a multivariable logistic regression analysis to examine the association between social frailty and depressive symptoms, and also conducted stratified analysis of home exercise habits during the pandemic. Results : A total of 309 (28.0%) participants had depressive symptoms. Compared with non-social frailty, social frailty was associated with depressive symptoms (odds ratio [OR] = 1.80, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] = 1.16–2.79, p = 0.009). A similar relationship was observed in those who did not exercise at home (OR = 2.10, 95%CI = 1.14–3.84, p =0.017). However, no such relationship was observed in those who did exercise at home (OR = 1.50, 95%CI = 0.79–2.85, p =0.213). Conclusions : Social frailty was associated with a risk of depressive symptoms during the pandemic. In addition, our findings suggested that home exercise may buffer the association between social frailty and depressive symptoms.

In this study we present the outdoor and indoor particulate matter (PM) and Black Carbon (BC) measurements in a typical terraced house, located in an urban area in the island of Malta. The influence of different household activities on the indoor PM2.5 and BC levels were also analysed. The activities resulting in elevated indoor concentrations included sweeping, cooking (not grilling and frying), grilling and frying and burning of candle and incense sticks. Sweeping resulted in the highest PM2.5 concentration (283.14 μg m−3) while frying resulted in the lowest level (104.14 μg m−3). Burning of paraffin wax candles resulted in the largest increases in indoor BC concentration (62.2 μg m−3) while the lowest peaks corresponded to cooking and frying. We estimated average PM2.5 and BC emission rates for each indoor activity reaching 22.19 μg s−1 during sweeping and 2.46 μg s−1 during burning of paraffin candles and incense sticks and were sensitive to different ventilation rates. Given that people spend substantial time in the home environment, especially with a future where remote work is likely to be further facilitated, identifying the activities and sources which lead to elevated indoor pollutants is crucial to limit indoor exposure.

Studies suggest that exposure to potential endocrine disrupting chemicals (pEDCs) may contribute to adverse health outcomes, but pEDC exposures among firefighters have not been fully characterized. Previously, we demonstrated the military-style silicone dog tag as a personal passive sampling device for assessing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposures among structural firefighters. This follow-up analysis examined the pEDC exposures based on department call volume, duty shift, and questionnaire variables. Structural firefighters (n = 56) were from one high and one low fire call volume department (Kansas City, MO metropolitan area) and wore separate dog tags while on- and off-duty (ndogtags = 110). The targeted 1530 analyte semi-quantitative screening method was conducted using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (npEDCs = 433). A total of 47 pEDCs were detected, and several less-frequently-detected pEDCs (75%), off-duty pEDC concentrations were strongly correlated (r = 0.31–0.82, p < 0.05), suggesting co-applications of phthalates and fragrances in consumer products. Questionnaire variables of “regular use of conventional cleaning products” and “fireplace in the home” were associated with select elevated pEDC concentrations by duty shift (paired t-test). This suggested researchers should include detailed questions about consumer product use and home environment when examining personal pEDC exposures.

Eating alone is reported to deteriorate health; however, the relationship between eating alone and poor dental health remains unclear. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association between poor dental health and eating alone. Data of participants (n = 156,287) aged ≥65 years from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study were evaluated using logistic regression to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between dental status, including prosthesis use, and eating status. Differences in these associations according to living status were also examined. The mean age of participants was 73.7 (SD = 6.0) years. The percentages of participants eating alone with 20 or more teeth, 10–19 teeth with dental prostheses, 0–9 teeth with dental prostheses, 10–19 teeth without dental prostheses, and 0–9 teeth without dental prostheses were 13.8%, 16.0%, 18.6%, 18.9%, and 27.0%, respectively. After adjusting for covariates, participants with 0–9 teeth without any dental prosthesis showed a significantly higher odds ratio for eating alone (OR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.58–2.07) than those with 20 or more teeth. Among participants with poorer dental status, the probability of eating alone was higher in those living alone than in those living with others. Among older adults, poor dental status was significantly associated with eating alone, and this association was stronger among those living alone. Maintaining better dental status by using a dental prosthesis might reduce the risk of eating alone, especially for those living alone.

Background General health conditions in older adults, including their mental health, differ greatly based on their physical health conditions rather than age. Thus, we evaluated how lifestyle factors, which included eating and living, affected depressive symptoms in older adults based on their physical frailty status. Methods We included older adults aged 70–84 years from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study (KFACS). Based on their eating and living patterns, we classified them into four groups: “lived and ate with others,” “lived alone yet ate with others,” “lived with others yet ate alone,” and “lived and ate alone.” Depressive symptoms and physical frailty were measured using the Korean version of the Geriatric Depression Scale and modified version of the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) Frailty Index, respectively. Results A total of 2,702 participants, 11.4% lived with others yet ate alone, and 19.7% lived and ate alone. For robust older adults, after adjusting for variables, the “ate alone” group was significantly related with depressive symptoms, and the “lived and ate alone” group showed a higher risk of depressive symptoms. In the prefrail to frail participants, the “lived and ate alone” group was at a higher risk of depressive symptoms. Conclusion Eating and living alone are key risk factors for depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults regardless of their physical frailty status. Therefore, social interventions are needed for both physically frail and healthy older adults to support their eating patterns and increase opportunities for social interaction.

Objectives A previous report indicated that evacuation owing to the government order after the Fukushima disaster impacted the health status of older people; however, the association between living in evacuation areas and independence in their daily lives was unclear. This study examined the hypothesis that people who were forced to evacuate their homes were more likely to need long-term care (LTC). Design Historical cohort study. Setting and Participants Older individuals (n = 13,934) in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, part of which was designated as an evacuation area. Methods Background and certification data from April 2012 to December 2016 were extracted. Logistic regression analysis with sex stratification was performed to examine the association between certification of care levels 1-5 and living in evacuation areas. Results In total, 18,178 Minamisoma residents aged ≥65 years who had not received LTC certification as of March 11, 2011, were eligible for follow-up. Of these, 4244 residents without a certificate of residence by June 1, 2016, were excluded. Of 13,934 residents followed up, 1553 (11.1%) were newly certified as care levels 1-5. Certification of care levels 1-5 was associated with living in evacuation areas [odds ratio (OR) 1.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20-2.18] and living alone at the time of the disaster (OR 2.58, 95% CI 1.92-3.47) in men and living alone at the time of the disaster (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.15-1.59) in women. Conclusions and Implications Living in evacuation areas and living alone were associated with LTC certification. In evacuation areas, individuals with family members were more likely to be certified compared with those in nonevacuation areas. Among residents in evacuation areas, several individuals with family members experiencing family structure changes might need LTC. Preventive measures (including group relocation) may be beneficial for those being evacuated following a disaster.

In socially-monogamous species, intolerance of interactions between a pairmate and a sexual rival (i.e., mate-guarding) promotes the preservation of long-lasting partnerships. One promising neurobiological candidate for the regulation of mate-guarding behavior in monogamous primates is the oxytocin (OT) system, given its established role in both the development of monogamous bonds and the behavioral processes that facilitate the preservation of those bonds. In this study, male and female marmosets were exposed to a same-sex intruder in their home environment during conditions when their pairmate was present and absent, and across three treatment conditions (OT receptor agonist; saline control; OT receptor antagonist). Saline-treated marmosets spent significantly more time in proximity to the intruder, relative to the empty pairmate enclosure, when their pairmate was absent. However, when marmosets received OT they spent less time in proximity to the intruder, indicating that OT may reduce interest in a same-sex stranger in a territorial context. When their pairmate was present, saline-treated marmosets spent equal time in proximity to both intruder and pairmate; yet when they received OT they spent significantly more time in proximity to the intruder, indicating that OT may increase interest in a same-sex stranger in a mate-guarding context. While OT treatment did not directly influence the expression of aggression, OT system manipulations impacted the expression of selective social interest during an intruder challenge, suggesting that OT may enhance adaptive responses to social challenges. Moreover, these findings add to the converging evidence that the OT system regulates behavioral processes that underlie the preservation of established relationships.

Decades of research in the West cannot determine whether the whole-day or half-day kindergarten program is more beneficial to children's development. In Hong Kong, despite strong public demand for the whole-day program, mixed research findings have led the government to support the half-day program only. As a supplement to a large-scale 2-year longitudinal study, this mixed methods study adopted Donabedian's (2003) approach to explore this complex social-educational issue with reference to Hong Kong-Chinese educators' perceptions of the whole-day kindergarten program. The authors surveyed 180 kindergarten educators from 15 randomly sampled kindergartens and conducted interviews with 30 of these educators one year later. The results showed that the whole-day program allowed for structural, curricular, and pedagogical improvement, enhanced children's development, and eased families' childcare concerns. The disadvantages, however, were reduced parent–child time and heavier tuition fees. The findings imply that no “best” program exists, only a better program “fit.” Program selection should reflect family preferences and needs while ensuring high-quality learning opportunities and active parental involvement. The whole-day program is recommended for families that lack a stimulating home environment and childcare resources; the half-day program might be a better fit for financially able families with adequate childcare resources. The authors argue that the supply and affordability of the free whole-day program should better match the needs of families.

Frequent family mealtimes have been associated with numerous positive dietary, health, and behavioral outcomes for children and families. This review article summarizes some of the beneficial outcomes associated with having frequent family dinners. Current trends in family dinner frequency are discussed in the context of barriers that influence how often families eat dinner together, including time issues, work issues, and distractions in the home environment. Next, several parental influences and home environment factors that promote healthy and consistent family dinners are outlined. Finally, limitations are discussed and a few practical suggestions are mentioned to help encourage families, employers, and policy-makers to make family mealtimes a regular practice for as many families as possible.

Little is known about what factors influence a caregiver to use controlling feeding practices with adolescents. The present study examines potential predictors (e.g., parent and child eating, parent and child weight, and the home environment) of the use of controlling feeding practices among adolescents, an age group that has not received much attention. Parents (N = 54, M age = 43.63 years, SD = 6.42; 94.4% female) of adolescents ages 12-17 (N = 54, M age = 13.94 years, SD = 1.75; 43.6% female) completed measures assessing their child feeding practices, eating patterns and the home environment. Adolescents completed measures of their eating patterns. Regression analyses were used to determine the most salient predictors of controlling child feeding practices, specifically restriction of food intake and pressure to eat. After controlling for adolescent age, parental dietary restraint was significantly associated with restriction and accounted for 15.2% of the variance in the use of restriction, F (1, 51) = 10.4, p.01. Adolescent emotional eating and income-to-needs ratio were significantly associated with use of pressure above and beyond adolescent age and accounted for 29.1% of the variance in the use of pressure, F (2, 48) = 10.2, p.001. This study suggests that future research should include factors from different levels of influence, such as child, parent and home environment. As understanding of these influences grows, efforts can be made to target specific contributors within intervention settings to address potential adverse outcomes associated with controlling feeding practices.