Public health
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During August 17th-21st, 2014, the University of Alaska Anchorage, along with other local, state, and federal agencies throughout Alaska, will host the 20(th) International Epidemiological Association's (IEA) World Congress of Epidemiology (WCE 2014). The theme for this Congress is "Global Epidemiology in a Changing Environment: The Circumpolar Perspective." The changing environment includes the full range of environments that shape population health and health inequities from the physical to the social and economic. Our circumpolar perspective on these environments includes views on how political systems, work, immigration, Indigenous status, and gender relations and sexuality affect the global world and the health of its people. ⋯ This Congress will also host presentations on injury epidemiology, occupational health, infectious diseases, chronic diseases, maternal and child health, surveillance and field epidemiology, mental health, violence (from self-directed, e.g., suicide, to interpersonal to structural), psychoactive substance use (including tobacco), and measures of subjective health. Attention will be given to epidemiology's theoretical frameworks and emphasizing knowledge translation, from epidemiology to health systems, to policy, and to the broader public. We also plan to offer many hands-on workshops including practical uses of epidemiology to improve health systems and reduce health inequities within and between countries; the manner in which epidemiology can inform public health practice; the understanding and use of the Dictionary of Epidemiology; and many others.
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Methamphetamine (MA) use has been associated with health problems that commonly present in the emergency department (ED). This study sought to determine whether frequent MA injection was a risk factor for ED utilization among street-involved youth. ⋯ Street-involved youth who frequently inject MA appear to be at increased risk of ED utilization. The integration of MA-specific addiction treatment services within emergency care settings for high-risk youth is recommended.
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To examine the incidence and risk factors of firework-related injuries during the Last Wednesday Eve Festival in Tehran, Iran, with a focus on the association of socio-economic status and educational level with the use of fireworks and the incidence of firework-related injury. ⋯ Fireworks are associated with serious injuries, and impose a non-trivial financial burden on families. While personal use of fireworks was an independent risk factor for firework-related injuries, higher socio-economic status of the household and higher educational level of the head of the household were not protective factors.
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There are few reports on epidemiological patterns of injury and injury-related mortality in developing countries. This study aimed to report the epidemiology of injuries and poisonings in emergency departments in Iran. ⋯ This study determined the epidemiology of injuries and poisonings in emergency departments in Iran. The mortality rate in this study was low in comparison with other research, which may be explained in the context of inappropriate prehospital or interhospital care in Iran. This finding can be employed to formulate targeted preventive strategies based on the incidence of the more common types of injury.