European Journal of Public Health最新文献

This study explores regional differences in physical fitness among Slovak school children, focusing on predictors such as school infrastructure, socioeconomic factors, life expectancy, and body mass index (BMI). It aims to provide a comprehensive, gender-specific analysis of systemic and environmental determinants influencing physical fitness. Data from the Slovak Olympic and Sports Committee's National Physical Fitness Project during the 2023-24 academic year included 42 741 students aged 12-16 from all eight regions of Slovakia. Physical fitness was assessed using the EUROFIT test battery. Predictors included regional socioeconomic indicators (e.g. unemployment, education), health determinants (e.g. BMI, life expectancy), and school infrastructure. Factor analysis reduced multicollinearity, and regression models were stratified by gender across Grades 6-7 and 8-9. BMI emerged as the strongest negative predictor of physical fitness (-0.64 for younger boys, -0.41 for older boys). Life expectancy positively influenced fitness (up to 0.50 for older boys). Higher knowledge capital was associated with lower fitness, especially in younger students (-0.26 for boys and -0.15 for girls). Social vulnerability and gender equality had a pronounced negative impact on girls (-0.68), while insufficient school infrastructure reduced fitness in older boys (-0.44). The regression models explained 58%-71% of variance in physical fitness (R2 = 0.58-0.71). This study highlights the multifactorial nature of physical fitness disparities among school children, emphasizing the roles of BMI, socioeconomic factors, and school infrastructure. The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions addressing systemic inequalities to improve physical fitness and health equity in school-aged populations.

Understanding how knowledge of alcohol-related harms relates to policy support can inform strategies to increase acceptance of alcohol policies. This study examines the relationship between the two across five EU countries. Online survey measuring knowledge of alcohol-related health consequences and alcohol policy support was conducted in October-November 2024 (N = 3620). Associations were analysed using adjusted linear regression models. Support for alcohol control measures was largely consistent across the countries and was lowest for increasing alcohol price and highest for implementing drink-driving measures. Factor analysis of 15 policy items showed four factors: Supportive and Educational interventions, Marketing and Youth Protection policies, Point of Sale and Display Regulation policies and Pricing and Physical Availability control policies. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and alcohol consumption patterns, knowledge of alcohol causing cancer was positively associated with support for Point of Sale and Display Regulation (β = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.11 to 0.25) and Pricing and Physical Availability control policies (β = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.19). Belief that wine benefits heart health was negatively associated with support for Marketing and Youth Protection policies (β = -0.09, 95% CI: -0.16 to -0.02) and Pricing and Physical Availability control policies (β = -0.11, 95% CI: -0.18 to -0.04). This study replicates the previous findings demonstrating the relationship between cancer knowledge and support for population-level alcohol policies in the European context. Interventions aimed at increasing this knowledge should be considered a critical foundation for effective alcohol control efforts, as informed publics are more likely to support and engage with population-level measures.

Supportive family and peer relationships foster healthy development and enhance adolescents' capacity to thrive despite adverse life circumstances. Our aim was to assess the association of family support and peer support with selected mental health indices of adolescents, controlling for a wide range of sociodemographic characteristics and behavioural factors. A cross-sectional study, conducted in Albania in 2022, included a nationwide representative sample of 5454 adolescents aged 11, 13, and 15 years (≈52% girls; overall response: ≈96%). Data on mental health indices [Cantril's ladder-based life satisfaction measure, WHO-5 wellbeing index, and GAD-7], family support and peer support, and sociodemographic and behavioural factors were collected. General linear model and binary logistic regression were used to assess the independent associations of family support and peer support with mental health indices. In fully-adjusted models, mean values of all three mental health indices were higher (indicating better mental health) among adolescents with high levels of family support and/or peer support compared with their counterparts without high support levels (P < .001 for all). Furthermore, the odds of 'high life satisfaction', 'good mood', and 'little/no anxiety' were all higher among adolescents who reported high family support and/or peer support compared to those without high support levels (P < .001 for all). High peer support levels and especially high family support levels were strongly and independently associated with better mental health outcomes among adolescents in Albania. Our findings highlight the importance of fostering supportive social environments to promote youth mental wellbeing across diverse sociodemographic and behavioural contexts.

The COVID-19 pandemic required substantive preventive measures to stop the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. As the effectiveness of these measures highly depended on public adherence, understanding the determinants of compliance with preventive measures is crucial. While some influencing factors have been identified already, the role of social connection is not fully understood. Interestingly, social connection might be reciprocally affected by compliance with preventive measures in a way that poses a trade-off between social connection and compliance. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the bidirectional relationship between social connection and compliance with preventive measures. This was done using longitudinal data from six waves (April 2020-March 2021) of the Belgian online COVID-19 Health Surveys, of a cohort of 11 974 adults. Random-intercept cross-lagged panel modelling was used to test whether social connection positively predicted subsequent compliance, and whether compliance negatively predicted subsequent social connection. Social support and social satisfaction served as social connection indicators. Compliance was modelled per separate preventive measure. The results showed that social support and social satisfaction were positively associated with subsequent compliance with several measures. Some effects were particularly pronounced in the most stringent waves. In the other direction, compliance with social restriction negatively predicted subsequent social satisfaction. Through its relation with compliance, social connection can be relevant for tackling public health crises that require public response. Vice versa, our results stress social connection as an area of concern in such crises. Thus, sustainably fostering social connection could benefit future pandemic preparedness.

Rising fuel prices have increased the prevalence of fuel poverty, forcing households to make trade-offs between spending on energy and food, a dilemma often described as 'heat or eat'. While prior studies have mentioned reductions in food expenditure or intake under these circumstances, less is known about the impact on overall diet quality among older adults. We analysed the association between fuel poverty and diet quality among adults aged over 50 in England using cross-sectional data from Wave 9 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA; n = 3919). Diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI) score and daily fruit and vegetable intake. Fuel poverty was defined using three measures: the 10% threshold, the Low-Income High Costs (LIHC) indicator, and a subjective self-reported measure. Ordinal logistic regression was used for HDI, and ordinary least squares regression for fruit and vegetable intake. Older adults identified as fuel poor under the LIHC indicator had lower HDI scores (OR = 0.83) and consumed 0.41 fewer portions of fruit and vegetables per day compared with those not in fuel poverty. No consistent associations were observed when fuel poverty was defined using the 10% threshold or the subjective measure. Fuel poverty, when defined by the LIHC indicator, is negatively associated with diet quality in later life. Addressing fuel poverty may therefore support improved nutrition and health among older adults.

Increases in the number of migrants (economic, educational, and involuntary) to Europe from countries with high incidence of communicable diseases [tuberculosis (TB), HIV, and hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV)]; has increased the need for cost-effective early disease diagnosis programmes to improve outcomes. We aimed to synthesize and evaluate current literature on community-based screening (CBS) initiatives in Europe, the diseases being screened for, and acceptance when offered. Database search (OVID Medicine, OBIFD EMCAre, and EMBRACE) of studies between January 2000 and January 2024 investigating CBS of newly arrived migrants for TB, HIV, HBV, and HCV in Europe (PROSPERO ID: 542289). Fifteen studies were included TB only (9/15, 60%), blood borne viruses (BBV) (2/15, 14%), and two or more diseases (4/15 26%). Ten (68%) studies were community-based, 3 (16%) in reception centres, 1 (8%) in primary care, and 1 (8%) mixed setting. Five (33%) studies included community leaders/members in recruitment and two (13%) performed follow-up on participants. Screening acceptance ranged from 41% to 100% (TB 41%-100%, BBV 78.5%-100%, TB/BBV 47.3%-100%) and disease prevalence ranged from 0.09% to 45.1% (TB 0.09%-45.1%, BBV 0.2%-8.7%, TB/BBV 3.2%-28.8%). There are few studies investigating CBS of TB or BBV in migrants in Europe, despite a rise in migration over the last decade. This review shows an urgent need for CBS of migrants for multiple infections that includes community members/leaders to improve acceptance rates and reduce disease mobility and mortality in a vulnerable population.

Growing evidence emphasizes the crucial role of schools in promoting both physical activity (PA) and mental health. This study examined the associations of school-based PA promotion measures with mental health among schoolchildren in Finland. The data were extracted from two sources: the Finnish School Health Promotion study providing individual-level data and the Finnish Benchmarking System for Health Promotion Capacity Building providing school-level data. The combined dataset comprised 87 372 schoolchildren from 1662 schools. The PA promotion efforts were measured in four categories. Mental health outcomes included depressive and anxiety symptoms, self-esteem, and prosocial behaviour. Multilevel binary logistic regression was used as a statistical method. In adjusted analyses, enabling the utilization of indoor sports facilities outside of physical education (PE) classes was associated with lower likelihood of low self-esteem (odds ratio [OR]: 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.87-0.99). Furthermore, extended PA breaks were associated with lower likelihood of low self-esteem among boys (OR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.83-0.99), and enabling the utilization of indoor sports facilities outside of PE classes was associated with a lower likelihood of depressive symptoms among girls (OR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.87-0.99). The simultaneous implementation of all four PA promotion measures was associated with better prosocial skills (OR: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.01-1.11). School-based PA promotion may enhance children's self-esteem and prosocial skills, and in girls reduce the risk of depressive symptoms, although the observed associations were particularly weak. To support the mental health of schoolchildren, PA should be promoted in schools through a variety of approaches.

Cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus are major noncommunicable diseases contributing significantly to disease burden on individuals and societies. Both are largely preventable through early intervention and effective risk factor management. Prevention requires timely data about population-level risk factors and identification of high-risk individuals. The Joint Action JACARDI reviewed self-measuring methods for blood glucose and cholesterol. Results indicate that dried blood spot and capillary blood stored in microtubes/capillary tubes provide close agreement with venous samples for glycated hemoglobin, and dried blood spot samples for triglycerides, but sample collection and handling require standardization. Meanwhile, they are not suitable for diagnostic purposes.

The effects of sport participation (SP) are typically assessed over relatively short time frames, with limited information regarding long-term impacts. The aims of this study were to evaluate the relationship of SP during childhood or adolescence with physical activity (PA) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adulthood. We performed an observational cross-sectional study. A population survey was conducted in two rural Finnish towns during 2005-7. Apparently healthy cardiovascular risk subjects aged 45-70 years were identified, and information regarding current PA and HRQoL (36-item Short Form Health Survey) and childhood or adolescent SP were gathered using questionnaires. Current PA was measured in metabolic equivalent hours per week (MET-h/week). Participants (n = 2503; mean age 58 years) were divided into three groups based on their SP levels during childhood or adolescence: none (n = 338), hobby (n = 1713), and competitive (n = 452). The mean level of current PA was 8.1 (SD 6.8) MET-h/week in none group, 9.2 (7.1) in hobby group, and 10.4 (7.8) in competitive group (P < .001). Participants in the competitive group reported significantly better HRQoL compared to other groups (P < .001). Childhood or adolescent SP modified the relationship between adulthood PA and HRQoL. Individuals with high levels of SP during childhood or adolescence were more likely to remain active in adulthood. SP in early life modified the association between adulthood PA and HRQoL and was also associated with better HRQoL in adulthood especially in mental health-related domains. These findings highlight the importance of promoting PA from an early age.