Aims: This study aims to explore the association between drinking water salinity and hypertension in three coastal sub-districts of Bangladesh. Methods: The study uses complete data on 6,296 individuals extracted from the latest Bangladesh Poverty and Groundwater Salinity Survey and a mixed-effects logistic regression model as the analytical tool. Results: Mixed-effects logistic regression analysis shows a significant association of medium or higher-level salinity with hypertension (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.650, 95％ confidence interval [CI]: 1.101—2.473). Other variables significantly associated with hypertension are age, sex, education status, water source, and geographical location. A sizable proportion of the total individual-level variance in the probability of being hypertensive was at household-level (20％) and cluster-level (8％). Conclusion: The findings from this study suggest that greater salinity in potable water common in coastal areas in Bangladesh is associated with increased risk of hypertension. The study refrains from asserting causality but seeks to stimulate public health and policy interventions to address the increased risk.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the burden experienced by nursing personnel working irregular shifts in Greece and to conduct the first test of a Greek version of the Standard Shiftwork Index (SSI). METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was carried out. The SSI was completed by 365 nurses and nursing assistants working shifts, including nights. RESULTS: Female nursing personnel and those suffering from a chronic disease were most affected by working rotating shifts as they had elevated scores on the majority of the SSI scales, such as sleep, chronic fatigue, digestive and cardiovascular problems, general health questionnaire, cognitive and somatic anxiety, shift time satisfaction, engagement and disengagement strategies, languidity, flexibility, and neurotisicm. Nurses with longer working experience and those with family responsibilities also scored higher on some of the SSI scales, such as the sleep, shift time satisfaction, social and domestic disruption, disengagement strategies, morningness, and languidity scales. CONCLUSION: Shiftwork affects female nurses, those with chronic disease, older age, and domestic responsibilities more severely. Therefore management should take these factors into account when designing work schedules to alleviate the burden caused by shiftwork.
Anxiety ; Appointments and Schedules ; Chronic Disease ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Fatigue ; Female ; Greece ; Humans ; Nursing* ; Pliability ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Weights and Measures