Climate Change, Natural Resources Depletion, COVID-19, and Wars are some of the great challenges of our time. The consequences will affect psychological well-being and could have a harmful impact on mental health. This study aimed to assess the level of preoccupation and fears surrounding issues of the 21st-century and the implication for psychological well-being of the general population from Central/Southern Italy among different age groups. A questionnaire that included sociodemographic characteristics, topics formulated ad-hoc about preoccupation, fears, habits, and willingness to change habits in the future related to the 21st-century challenges, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales 21 (DASS-21) was administered online. A sample of 1831 participants (61% F; mean age 47.71 ± 17.30) was obtained. Results showed that young adults and older adults, respectively, reported greater and less psychological well-being. Young adults reported higher scores for preoccupation, changing habits, and willingness to change habits in the future, while older adults reported the lowest scores except for changing habits, also controlling for gender. Results for this variable, as well as correlations between the many variables described, rely on the specificity of age, and 21st-century challenges. Moreover, the main fears related to the 21st-century concerns were different based on both age and gender. In conclusion, the various stresses of the 21st-century discussed in this study have a relationship with personal well-being, and it is important to consider potential global mental health issues resulting from these stressors.
The human-biometeorological conditions in Ukraine during two mega-heat waves were analyzed. The evaluation is based on physiologically equivalent temperature (PET). The calculation of PET is performed utilizing the RayMan model. The results revealed these two mega-heat waves produced strenuous human-biometeorological conditions on the territory of Ukraine. During the summer 2010 mega-heat wave, strong and extreme heat stress prevailed at about midday at the stations where this atmospheric phenomenon was observed. The mega-heat wave of August 2015 was characterized by a lower heat load. The diurnal variation of PET values during the researched mega-HW was similar to that of the diurnal variation of air temperature with minimum values in the early morning and maximum values in the afternoon. On the territory where mega-heat waves were observed, the number of days during which heat stress occurred for 9 h amounted to 97.6% for the period from 31 July to 12 August 2010 and 77.1% for the mega-heat wave of August 2015.
The article, based on the reports of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, presents the materials of the epidemiological surveillance of salmonellosis in 2011-2018. To assess the influence of factors on the epidemic process of salmonellosis, the demographic situation, income and living conditions of the population were studied; average monthly air temperature, relative humidity, precipitation; the quantitative and qualitative composition of the microbiocenosis of patients with signs of acute intestinal infection. It was found that in Ukraine the incidence of salmonellosis is high. Outbreaks of salmonellosis are recorded. S. enteritidis is most often isolated from the clinical material of patients, carriers and human objects (p <0.05). The risk groups for salmonellosis are children (p <0.05), as well as the rural population (p 7lt;0.05). The low level of sanitary and epidemiological control at the stages of production, transportation and sale of food products, water supply contributes to the spread of salmonellosis. Natural factors have a regulating effect on the intensity of the epidemic salmonella process: a strong direct relationship is established between the incidence and air temperature and precipitation (p <0.05). Salmonella enters into a competitive or synergistic relationship with other microorganisms in the intestinal biotope. Thus, the intensity of the epidemic process of salmonellosis can be influenced not only by external (natural and social), but also by internal factors.
The human-biometeorological conditions in Kyiv (Ukraine) and changes in the frequency of heat stress during the summer period due to recent climate trends were analyzed. The evaluation based on physiologically equivalent temperature (PET). The results revealed the highest probability of thermal comfortable conditions in Kyiv is from the last 10-day period of April to the end of June and from the last 10-day period of August to the end of September. The probability of heat stress reached nearly 90% during the second and third 10-day periods of July. A pronounced increase in thermal stress during the studied heat wave cases (HW), as well as increasing amount of days with heat stress in the period 1991-2015, were found.
