Diddy Antai, Sara Wedrén, Rino Bellocco and Tahereh Moradi
Each ethnic group has its own peculiar cultural practices that may widen inequalities in child health and survival among ethnic groups. This study estimated ethnic disparities in…
Abstract
Each ethnic group has its own peculiar cultural practices that may widen inequalities in child health and survival among ethnic groups. This study estimated ethnic disparities in mortality of under‐five‐year‐olds, controlling for individual and community level characteristics. Using multilevel multivariable regression analysis on a nationally representative sample drawn from 7,864 households in the 2003 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, we estimated the risks of deaths under‐five‐year‐olds for 6,029 children nested within 2,735 mothers aged 15‐49 years old, who were in turn nested within 365 communities. Results were expressed as odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. The observed risk of under‐five death was highest among children of Hausa/Fulani/Kanuri mothers and lowest among children of Yoruba mothers. The mother's affiliation to the Yoruba ethnic group, compared to Hausa/Fulani/Kanuri, was still significantly associated with decreased under‐five mortality (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.45 ‐ 0.96) after adjustment for individual and community level factors. Under‐five mortality was significantly related to socio‐economic and demographic factors (birth order/birth interval, mother's age, and mother's education), which explained much but not all of the ethnic disparities. Findings underscore the need for measures aimed at improving female education and the socio‐economic standard of women, changing short birth spacing norms and reducing inequitable distribution of maternal and child health services.
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Zahra Shamsizadeh, Mohammad Hassan Ehrampoush, Zahra Dehghani Firouzabadi, Tahereh Jasemi Zad, Fereshteh Molavi, Ali Asghar Ebrahimi and Mohammad Kamranifar
The purpose of this study was to the synthesis of Fe3O4@SiO2 nanocomposites and using it as an adsorbent for removal of diazinon from aqueous solutions. Structural characteristics…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to the synthesis of Fe3O4@SiO2 nanocomposites and using it as an adsorbent for removal of diazinon from aqueous solutions. Structural characteristics of the synthesized magnetic nanocomposite were described by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy.
Design/methodology/approach
The effects of different parameters including pH (2-10), contact time (1-180 min), adsorbent dosage (100-2000 mg L−1) and initial diazinon concentration (0.5–20 mg L−1) on the removal processes were studied. Finally, isotherm and kinetic and of adsorption process of diazinon onto Fe3O4@SiO2 nanocomposites were investigated.
Findings
The maximum removal efficiency of diazinon (96%) was found at 180 min with 1000 mg L−1 adsorbent dosage using 0.5 mg L−1 diazinon concentration at pH = 7. The experimental results revealed that data were best fit with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.971) and the adsorption capacity was 10.90 mg g−1. The adsorption isotherm was accordant to Langmuir isotherm.
Originality/value
In the present study, the magnetic nanocomposites were synthesized and used as an absorbent for the removal of diazinon. The developed method had advantages such as the good ability of Fe3O4@SiO2 nanocomposites to remove diazinon from aqueous solution and the magnetic separation of this absorbent that make it recoverable nanocomposite. The other advantages of these nanocomposites are rapidity, simplicity and relatively low cost.
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Tahereh Karimi, Zeinab Moslemi, Arezoo Rezazadeh and Hassan Eini-Zinab
This study aims to examine the effect of maternal food intake before and during pregnancy on birth weight.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the effect of maternal food intake before and during pregnancy on birth weight.
Design/methodology/approach
As a prospective cohort study, a total of 585 pregnant women of first trimester, visiting Tehran Metropolitan Area public health centers and private sectors (clinics and hospitals), were interviewed at first phase, and pregestational dietary intake was obtained by a 168-item semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. At the third trimester, dietary recalls were collected via interview. Finally, birth weight information was extracted from health records. Univariate and multivariate analysis was used to explore the effect of maternal and nutritional factors on birth weight.
Findings
The results of the analysis show that direct measures of nutrition, measured as food group consumption at first and third trimester of pregnancy, had no significant effect on birth weight once the confounding factors were controlled (p > 0.05). Of control variables included in the analysis, twin pregnancy outcome (p = 0.000), pregnancy number (p = 0.04), prepregnancy weight (p = 0.004) (marginally significant) and gestational age (p = 0.000) (marginally significant) were associated with birth weight.
Originality/value
The results of this study show no significant role of mother’s nutrition during pregnancy on birth weight, while long-term nutrition outcomes such as prepregnancy weight had significant role. It seems the main reasons behind less important role of pregnancy nutrition on birth weight in this study include the following: food intake deficiency is not a major problem for participants, and cross-sectional data on food intake are less important on outcome of pregnancy weight than long-term nutritional status outcome variables such as mother’s weight and height. This finding should be addressed in public health planning for women at childbearing age.
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Mahdieh Mirzabeigi, Mahsa Torabi and Tahereh Jowkar
The objective of this study was to investigate the impacts of personality traits and the ability to detect fake news on information avoidance behavior. It also examined the effect…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this study was to investigate the impacts of personality traits and the ability to detect fake news on information avoidance behavior. It also examined the effect of personality traits on the ability to detect fake news.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample population included Shiraz University students who were studying in the second semester of academic year 2021 in different academic levels. It consisted of 242 students of Shiraz University. The Big Five theory was used as the theoretical background of the study. Moreover, the research instrument was an electronic questionnaire consisting of the three questionnaires of the ability to detect fake news (Esmaeili et al., 2019, inspired by IFLA, 2017), the Big Five personality traits (Goldberg, 1999) and information avoidance (Howell and Shepperd, 2016). The statistical methods used to analyze the data were Pearson correlation and stepwise regression, which were performed through SPSS software (version 26).
Findings
The results showed that from among the five main personality factors, only neuroticism had a positive and significant effect on information avoidance. In addition, the ability to detect fake news had a significant negative effect on information avoidance behavior. Further analyses also showed positive and significant effects of openness to experience and extraversion on the ability to detect fake news. In fact, the former had more predictive power.
Practical implications
Following the Big Five theory considering COVID-19 information avoidance and the ability to detect COVID-19 fake news, this study shifted the focus from environmental factors to personality factors and personality traits. Furthermore, this study introduced the ability to detect fake news as an influential factor in health information avoidance behaviors, which can be a prelude for new research studies.
Originality/value
The present study applied the five main personality factors theory in the context of information avoidance behavior and the ability to detect fake news, and supported the effect of personality traits on these variables.