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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 4 November 2020

Soo Min Shin, Song Soo Lim and Yongsung Cho

This study aimed to estimate the economic benefits of PM2.5 emission abatement by Red Pine, Pinus Koraiensis and Quercus, using a metering model analyzing the amount of PM2.5…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to estimate the economic benefits of PM2.5 emission abatement by Red Pine, Pinus Koraiensis and Quercus, using a metering model analyzing the amount of PM2.5 absorption in Korea.

Design/methodology/approach

To estimate the economic effects of PM2.5 adsorptions by trees, the frequency of hospital visits resulting from respiratory and circulatory diseases was estimated using a Probit model based on the data from National Health and Nutrition Survey.

Findings

The results show that Quercus and Pinus Koraiensis absorb and eliminate the largest amount of PM2.5. Reducing 1 ton of PM2.5 emission through the planting of trees leads to lower incidences of respiratory and circulatory diseases equivalent to the amount of 95 million won. When the trees planted are 2-year-old Red Pine, Pinus Koraiensis and Quercus, the resulting economic benefits of the PM2.5 abatement would amount to 481 million won, 173 million won and 1,027 million won, respectively. If the trees are 80 years old, the economic benefits are estimated to be 73 billion won for Red Pine, 103 billion won for Pinus Koraiensis and 38 billion won for Quercus.

Research limitations/implications

One limitation of this study is that the weight of PM2.5 adsorbed by each leaf area entirely depended on the experimental results from a prior study and the values are likely to be different from those actually absorbed in natural surroundings. In addition, because of the lack of data from a domestic survey on the surface of leaf area or the reload flow rate of PM2.5, this study referred to data from foreign research. Unfortunately, this specific data may not reflect climatic and terrain characteristics specific to the target country. We used the annual wind speed to calculate the reload flow rate and elimination volume; however, the figures could be more accurate with hourly or daily climate variations. When estimating the health benefits of changes in PM2.5 emissions on respiratory and circulatory diseases, more segmented access to patients' hospital visits and hospital admissions are desirable. Finally, the study focused on the three major tree species of Korea, however, a more detailed study of PM2.5 reduction by various tree types is needed in the future.

Originality/value

This paper quantitatively assessed the amount of PM2.5 adsorption by each of the three tree species. Then, the economic benefits were calculated in terms of how much money would be saved on hospital visits thanks to the reduced PM2.5 levels and lower incidences of respiratory and circulatory system diseases. The net contribution of this study was to prove the trees' function of reducing PM2.5 as it relates to human health. We focused on the most common trees in Korea and compared them to provide new information on the species.

Details

Forestry Economics Review, vol. 2 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-3030

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 October 2021

John M. Violanti, Ja K. Gu, Luenda E. Charles, Desta Fekedulegn and Michael E. Andrew

This study is a mortality assessment on police officers (68-years, 1950–2018) and includes all causes of death.

Abstract

Purpose

This study is a mortality assessment on police officers (68-years, 1950–2018) and includes all causes of death.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors investigated 1,853 police deaths (1950–2018) using sources of mortality that included the National Death Index, NY State, and available records from the Buffalo NY police department. Standardized Mortality Ratios were calculated. Death codes were obtained from 8th and 9th International Classification of Disease revisions in accordance with the year of death.

Findings

Compared to the US general population, white male police officers from 1950–2018 had elevated mortality rates for some causes of death, including diseases of the circulatory system, malignant neoplasms, cirrhosis of the liver, and mental disorders. Black and female officers had lower mortality rates for all causes of death compared to the general population.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of elevated risk for chronic disease among police need to be studied in relation to stress, lifestyle, and exposure to chemical and physical agents. There is a special need to further study officers from minority populations as larger samples become available.

Practical implications

The results of this study will provide police and occupational health practitioners with objective evidence to determine the health impact of work on law enforcement officers.

Originality/value

This study is longest running mortality assessment on police officers ever conducted (1950–2018) and includes white, black, and female officers.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 44 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 March 2020

John M. Violanti, Desta Fekedulegn, Mingming Shi and Michael E. Andrew

Law enforcement is a dangerous profession not only due to assaults, accidents and homicides but also due to health risks. This study examined trends in the national frequency and…

Abstract

Purpose

Law enforcement is a dangerous profession not only due to assaults, accidents and homicides but also due to health risks. This study examined trends in the national frequency and rate of law enforcement job-related illness deaths in the United States over a 22-year period (1997–2018).

Design/methodology/approach

Data were obtained from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) on death frequencies related to health issues at work. Death rates were based on the total number of police officers in the United States [rate = (frequency/population at risk) × 100,000]. Trends were examined using standardized regression.

Findings

A total of 646 deaths were attributed to job-related illness. There was a significant upward trend in overall job-related illness deaths (frequency analyses: β = 0.88, < 0.0001; rate analyses: β = 0.82, p ≤ 0.0001) mainly driven by a significant increase in 911 cancer deaths (frequency analyses: β = 0.88, < 0.0001; rate analyses: β = 0.88, p ≤ 0.0001). Nearly 82 percent of circulatory deaths were from a heart attack, with an average death age of 46.5 years.

Research limitations/implications

Deaths were not included if they failed to meet medical requirements of the NLEOMF. The data are descriptive, do not estimate risk and should be interpreted cautiously.

Practical implications

Police wellness programs may help to reduce the danger of deaths associated with job-related illness.

Originality/value

This is among the first studies to examine frequency and rate of police health–related deaths due to job exposures.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 43 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 January 2023

John William Adie, Wayne Graham, Ryan O'Donnell and Marianne Wallis

The purpose of this paper is to determine which factors are associated with 6,065 patient presentations with non-life-threatening urgent conditions (NLTUCs) to an after-hours…

659

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine which factors are associated with 6,065 patient presentations with non-life-threatening urgent conditions (NLTUCs) to an after-hours general practice, an urgent care clinic (UCC) and an emergency department (ED) on Sundays in Southeast Queensland (Qld).

Design/methodology/approach

A retrospective, comparative and observational study was conducted involving the auditing of medical records of patients with NLTUCs consulting three medical services between 0,800 and 1,700 h, on Sundays, over a one-year period. The study was limited to 6,065 patients.

Findings

There were statistically significant differences in choice of location according to age, number of postcodes from the patient's residence, time of the day, season, patient presentations for infection and injury, non-infectious, non-injurious conditions of the circulatory, gastrointestinal and genitourinary systems, and need for imaging, pathology, plastering/back-slab application, splinting and wound closure. Older adults were more likely to be admitted to the hospital and Ed Short Stay Unit, compared with other age groups.

Research limitations/implications

Based on international models of UCC healthcare systems in United Kingdom (UK), USA and New Zealand (NZ) and the results of this study, it is recommended that UCCs in Australia have extended hours, walk-in availability, access to on-site radiology, ability to treat fractures and wounds and staffing by medical practitioners able to manage these conditions. Recommendations also include setting a national standard for UCC operation (National Urgent Care Centre Accreditation, 2018; NHS, 2020; RNZCUC, 2015) and requirements for vocational registration for medical practitioners (National Urgent Care Centre Accreditation, 2018; RNZCUC, 2015; The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, 2021a, b).

Practical implications

This study has highlighted three key areas for future research: first, research involving general practitioners (GPs), emergency physicians, urgent care physicians, nurse practitioners, urgent care pharmacists and paramedics could help to predict the type of patients more accurately, patient presentations and associated comorbidities that might be encouraged to attend or be diverted to Urgent Care Clinics. Second, larger studies of more facilities and more patients could improve the accuracy and generalisability of the findings. Lastly, studies of public health messaging need to be undertaken to determine how best to encourage patients with NLTUCs (especially infections and injuries) to present to UCCs.

Social implications

The Urgent Care Clinic model has existed in developed countries since 1973. The adoption of this model in Australia close to a patient's home, open extended hours and with onsite radiology could provide a community option, to ED, for NLTUCs (especially patient presentations with infections and injuries).

Originality/value

This study reviewed three types of medical facilities for the management of NLTUCs. They were an after-hours general practice, an urgent care clinic and an emergency department. This study found that the patient choice of destination depends on the ability of the service to manage their NLTUCs, patient age, type of condition, postcodes lived away from the facility, availability of testing and provision of consumables. This study also provides recommendations for the development of an urgent care healthcare system in Australia based on international models and includes requirements for extended hours, walk-in availability, radiology on-site, national standard and national requirements for vocational registration for medical professionals.

Details

Journal of Health Organization and Management, vol. 37 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7266

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 1 November 2008

Bernard Harris

In recent years, a number of historians have examined the reasons for differences in the height and health of men and women in nineteenth-century Britain, often drawing on…

Abstract

In recent years, a number of historians have examined the reasons for differences in the height and health of men and women in nineteenth-century Britain, often drawing on economic studies which link excess female mortality in the developing world to restrictions in women's employment opportunities. This paper re-examines this literature and summarises the existing literature on sex-specific differences in height, weight and mortality in England and Wales before 1850. It then uses two electronic datasets to examine changes in cause-specific mortality rates between 1851 and 1995. Although there is little evidence to support the view that the systematic neglect of female children was responsible for high rates of female mortality in childhood, there is rather more evidence to show that gender inequalities contributed to excess female mortality in adulthood.

Details

Research in Economic History
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84855-337-8

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 11 April 2018

Marko Korhonen, Suvi Kangasraasio and Rauli Svento

This study aims to explore the link between mortality and climate change. The focus is in particular on individuals’ adaptation to temperature changes. The authors analyze the…

2745

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore the link between mortality and climate change. The focus is in particular on individuals’ adaptation to temperature changes. The authors analyze the relationship between climatic change (measured by temperature rate) and mortality in 23 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries during 1970-2010.

Design/methodology/approach

This study performs the adaptation regression model in the level form as a dynamic panel fixed effects model. The authors use a non-linear threshold estimation approach to examine the extreme temperature changes effect on the temperature–mortality relation. More specifically, the study explores whether the large increases/decreases in temperature rates affect mortality rates more than the modest changes.

Findings

This study indicates that the temperature–mortality relation is significant in early part of the sample period (before 1990) but insignificant during the second part (after 1990). After including controlling factors, as well as nation and year fixed effects, the authors provide evidence that people do adapt to the most of the temperature-related mortalities. Also, this study provides evidence of the non-linear relationship between national temperatures and mortality rates. It is observed that only after 5 per cent increase in the annual temperature, the relation between temperature and overall mortality is significant.

Originality/value

Most studies cover only one specific country, hence making it difficult to generalize across countries. Therefore, the authors argue that the best estimation of the health effects of temperature change can be found by modeling the past relationships between temperature and mortality across countries for a relatively long period. To the authors’ knowledge, previous studies have not systemically tested the adaptation effect across countries.

Details

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-8692

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 2000

Rosemary Sinclair

Explains the value of Omega‐3 fatty acids in the human diet. Outlines the recommended daily amounts needed and possible sources. Explores their protective effects against heart…

1209

Abstract

Explains the value of Omega‐3 fatty acids in the human diet. Outlines the recommended daily amounts needed and possible sources. Explores their protective effects against heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Looks at recent research into the value of Omega‐3 fatty acids in infant nutrition, dermatological problems, lung disease and gastro‐intestinal disease.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science, vol. 30 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 June 2011

Meena Chavan

The purpose of this paper is to examine an operational process through the use of a clinical practice improvement method to implement clinical pathways in the Amber Hospital's…

3096

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine an operational process through the use of a clinical practice improvement method to implement clinical pathways in the Amber Hospital's (name changed for privacy reasons) cardiology unit. This quality framework has been adopted as a means of preventing adverse events, to ensure quality of care is provided to all patients.

Design/methodology/approach

A quality assurance case study approach was adopted along with the clinical practice improvement method – a framework that allows continuous quality improvement to be applied in a practical way to clinical processes, in order to improve delivery of care. The clinical practice improvement method is broken into five cycles: project, diagnostic phase, intervention, impact, and sustaining improvement. The paper explains these cycles, demonstrating how each was achieved.

Findings

The clinical practice improvement method at Amber Hospital was found to provide superior performance in the clinical pathway allocation process and improved patient care. Having an appropriate and effective action plan involving clinical pathways helps to prevent service hindrances that may have adverse impact on hospital management processes leading to adverse events. The Amber Hospital case study has not only identified the physical constraints but also the constraints in relation to organization policies and operation procedures.

Research limitations/implications

The paper highlights the need for organizations to have a “no blame” culture, which acknowledged that errors do and will occur. However, it is also recognized that it is important to have reliable data collection on these errors, in order to reduce the frequency and severity of adverse events. Lack of available data was a severe limitation.

Practical implications

The practical aim of this project was to improve recommended drug treatment in patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome through the implementation of clinical pathways. The author also wanted to measure the utilization rate of these pathways. While there were four pathways implemented, the majority of patients were allocated to pathway 1B. Hence, data were collected on those specific patients.

Originality/value

Quality operational framework, using a clinical practice improvement method, demonstrated how clinical pathways for Acute Coronary Syndrome were implemented successfully at the Amber Hospital. The report provides evidence that through conducting a CPI project, quality improvements were made in recommended drug treatment for patients diagnosed with Acute Coronary Syndrome, and to correct pathway allocation.

Details

Asian Journal on Quality, vol. 12 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1598-2688

Keywords

Abstract

Details

Funerary Practices in the Czech Republic
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78973-112-5

Abstract

Details

The Development of Open Government Data
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80262-315-4

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