This study aimed to identify the indices/indicators used for evaluating the “creating supportive environments” mechanism of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, with a focus on built environments, in different settings. A search for literature with no time limit constraint was performed across Medline (via PubMed), Scopus, and Embase databases. Search terms included “Ottawa Charter,” “health promotion,” “supportive environments,” “built environments,” “index,” and “indicator.” we included the studies conducted on developing, identifying, and/or measuring health promotion indices/indicators associated with “built environments” in different settings. The review articles were excluded. Extracted data included the type of instrument used for measuring the index/indicator, the number of items, participants, settings, the purpose of indices/indicators, and a minimum of two associated examples of the indices domains/indicators. The key definitions and summarized information from studies are presented in tables. In total, 281 studies were included in the review, within which 36 indices/indicators associated with “built environment” were identified. The majority of the studies (77%) were performed in developed countries. Based on their application in different settings, the indices/indicators were categorized into seven groups: (1) Healthy Cities (n=5), (2) Healthy Municipalities and Communities (n=18), (3) Healthy Markets (n=3), (4) Healthy Villages (n=1), (5) Healthy Workplaces (n=4), (6) Health-Promoting Schools (n=3), and (7) Healthy Hospitals (n=3). Health promotion specialists, health policymakers, and social health researchers can use this collection of indices/indicators while designing/evaluating interventions to create supportive environments for health in various settings.

Citations

• The Role of Pharmacists in Health Promotion
  Pallav Dave
  Asian Journal of Dental and Health Sciences.2024; 4(2): 32.     CrossRef

Background
: Due to the limited medical resources, effectiveness, efficiency, and equity has become the main issue of health care system reform in the developed countries, which has lead to the focusing on strengthening of primary care. The study was performed to assess the primary care level and health indicators in Korea utilizing objective criteria used in other developed countries, so as to evaluate its current status compared to the developed countries.

Methods : Starfield's primary care scoring criteria of the system and practice characteristics was used to evaluate the primary care level in Korea and 13 members of the OECD countries. According to the primary care score, the countries were grouped into 3 groups (highest, middle, lowest) and were compared the health indicators, health care expenditure, and satisfaction with health care system.

Results : Korea ranked the lowest in both primary care level and health indicators. The amount of health care expenditure and satisfaction with health care system were also low. Health indicators were worst in the lowest primary score gorup. But unexpectedly, middle group had better health indicators than highest group in most items.

Conclusion : Primary care level in Korea is very low compared to the developed countries. Middle primary care level countries having better health indicators may be due to the overemphasis of efficiency and equal distribution in highest level countries leading to low quality service. Korea should consider modelling the middle group countries in the course of establishing primary care system with equal balancing in quantity and quality.

Background
: Hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia and coronary heart disease are closely related to obesity. Recently incidence of such diseases are remarkably increased. Many researches have been done to find out to implement prevention and treatment of such diseases. Abdominal obesity is one of the most important contributing factors of metabolic complication. This study was done to compare indicators of obesity with abdominal fat amount which was measured by anthropometric parameter and computed tomogram, and to find correlation between the risk factors of atherosclerosis and the indicators of obesity.

Methods : Fifty nine healthy premenopausal women without diabetes, coronary heart diseases or history of other chronic disease were enrolled. Blood pressure and simple anthropometric parameter were measured. Computed tomograms in umbilical and femoral regions were performed. From serial blood samples, plasma fasting glucose and insulin, cholesterol and triglyceride were measured and atherogenic index was calculated.

Results : The ratio of visceral fat area and skeletal muscle area at the mid-thigh level was found to be highly correlated(R=0.965, p<0.001) and atherogenic index showed similar patterns to the waist circumference, the waist/height ratio and the waist/hip ratio. Especially, the waist/height ratio was found to be the most reliable indicator of obesity to predict atherogenic index.

Conclusion : Although the ratio of visceral fat and skeletal muscle area at the mid-thigh level which is measured by computed tomogram was the best indicator of visceral fat, these results proved that waist circumference and the waist/height ratio were also good indicators of the risk factors of atherosclerosis. By simple anthropometric measurements, it can help to find the remedy and prevention of obesity in practices.

Background
: The objective confirmation of subjective symptom of patient is important in the primary care consisted largely by functional disorders of which mechanism could not explain the symptoms clearly. Definite diagnostic method is not established yet for the functional disorders densptie the fact that various investigations have been done. So, we tried to reveal the relationship between the value of indicator drop(ID) from electroacupunctrure point accordint to Voll and the clinical diagnosis and subjective symptom by using noninvasive electroacupuncture diagnosis according to Voll.

Methods : Among the patients of three university level hospitals health care centers from April to June 1997, consenting 203 persons were enrolled .Various laboratory finding and ID from EAV were measured by double blind test methods. In parallel, subjective symptoms were classified by each organ. Validity was tested by the relationship between the gastrofiberscopy finding and the stomach control measurement point ID.

Results : There were statistically significant ID increases in the CMPs of endocrine, lung, circulation system, gastrointestinal system, kidney and bladder compared to a laboratory findings or subjective symptom by the comparison between the variables of the assessed clinical or laboratory findings and organ specific CMP score. Especially, the ID increase of stomach shows 79.3%-90.9% positive predictive value to positive findings of gastrofiberscopy when gastrofiberscopy is definded to confirmation test of gastritis, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer.

Conclusion : Our results show that the noninvasive electrodiagnostic method result by measuring EAV of organ system is related statistically to subjective symptoms and laboratory findings. Also they show that it could be useful tool as a clinical diagnostic method. We suggest that further study is needed to reveal organ specific sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value by using confirmation method of organ specific disease.