Frontiers in Public Health最新文献

Background: Heat-related illness (HRI) is increasing under climate change, particularly in humid regions. While heat alerts increasingly rely on apparent temperature (AT), evidence linking AT conditions to differential HRI risk by occupational status remains limited.

Methods: We linked national emergency department (ED)-based HRI surveillance with daily national mean AT for June-September 2015-2024. We summarized bin-wise mean daily counts and estimated bin-specific incidence rate ratios (IRRs; reference = 24 °C) using Poisson regression.

Results: HRI increased non-linearly with AT in both groups, and occupational IRRs tended to be higher than non-occupational IRRs at warmer bins. At 31 °C, occupational IRR was 37.07 vs. 23.86 for non-occupational; at 33 °C, 104.75 vs. 72.25; and at 34 °C, 167.22 vs. 141.06.

Conclusion: Workers may experience higher HRI risk under rising AT, underscoring the need for worker-centered prevention and heat-risk communication in humid climates.

Introduction: With policy focused on prevention and re-location of care into communities to reduce the burden on acute services, the need for robust evidence from social prescribing that integrates community assets into health and care systems is becoming increasingly vital.

Methods: As part of a national multi-centered program of research, 'Mobilizing Community Assets to Tackle Health Inequalities', seven projects from across the UK participated in an online survey asking how their work involved social prescribing, successes and challenges, and tackling health inequalities. Survey data was supplemented with information from quarterly spreadsheets where projects recorded academic and creative outputs, events, partnerships, posts, ways of working, and audiences or communities.

Results: Six themes: activities/interventions; audiences/communities; funding; methods; partners/stakeholders; and research aims/focus, with 62 subthemes were derived from the survey data. Responses showed that projects worked in the UK's most deprived areas delivering social prescribing focusing on the social determinants of health, and mapping community assets and pathways for underserved groups. Successes were attributed to link workers as knowledge brokers, and partnerships with primary and secondary care, and arts and community organizations in co-producing local interventions. Challenges such as variation in the flexibility of creative approaches and lack of knowledge about community assets were also attributed to link workers. Other challenges included accessibility, participant non-attendance, and funding issues.

Discussion: To tackle health inequalities, projects used hyper-local, place-based approaches and co-design of interventions promoting cultural and green community assets, with link workers, people with lived experience, peer support workers and volunteers. The study proposes an approach to social prescribing that combines models of recovery and peer support underpinned by self-determination theory to improve social inclusion and quality of life. Recommendations include a consortium-based approach to person-centered care working closely with local populations and public health, where provision is co-located and co-delivered in conjunction with relevant data concerning health conditions and the wider social determinants to address the root causes of health inequalities.

Introduction: COVID-19 has caused substantial impacts on health, the economy, education, and quality of life worldwide, and pandemic control measures are directly associated with the quality of the pandemic response, which is essential for developing more assertive interventions for health promotion, treatment, and control of COVID-19.

Objective: To evaluate epidemiological and operational indicators of COVID-19 surveillance in hospitalized patients in the state of Pará in 2021 by health mesoregion.

Methodology: A cross-sectional, analytical, and ecological epidemiological study. Data were obtained from the Epidemiological Surveillance of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome through the Influenza Epidemiological Surveillance System (SIVEP-Gripe).

Results: A total of 18,007 severe acute respiratory syndrome surveillance reports were included. In terms of incidence, there was a significant difference in the Lower Amazon, Southwest Pará, and Southeast Pará (p < 0.001). In terms of lethality, the highest rates were in the Lower Amazon and Metropolitan Region of Belém (p < 0.001). In terms of mortality, significance was observed in the Lower Amazon, the Metropolitan Region of Belém, and Southwest Pará (p < 0.001). For timely notification (80%), sample collection (80%), completion of the collection date (100%), recording of the molecular test date (100%), and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission (100%), none of the mesoregions reached the target. The criterion of confirmation, evolution, and date of evolution did not reach the target (100%) in any mesoregion. For timely case closure (80%), five mesoregions reached the goal: Lower Amazon, Marajó, Metropolitan Region of Belém, Northeast Pará, and Southeast Pará.

Conclusion: Differences were observed between health mesoregions in both epidemiological and operational indicators. The most affected mesoregions were the Lower Amazon, Southwest Pará, and Southeast Pará, which have high social vulnerability and are farther from the metropolitan area of Belém, where health services with better hospital and laboratory structures are concentrated.

Background: In recent years, the global incidence of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) has risen, posing a significant challenge in public health. Adolescents are the main group affected.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire to collect data from 6,311 adolescents in Hefei, China. This study employed the Compositional Isotemporal Substitution Model (CISM, a statistical method that estimates health effects of replacing time in one behavior with another while accounting for the interdependent, compositional nature of 24-h time-use data) to examine the impact of Screen Time (ST), Non-Screen-based Sedentary Time (NSST), Physical Activity, and Sleep Time on NSSI among adolescents.

Results: Compositional logistic regression analysis revealed that, relative to the remaining behavioral components, higher Light Physical Activity (LPA) (p = 0.016) and Sleep Time (p < 0.001) were associated with a reduced risk of NSSI, while higher ST (p < 0.001) and NSST (p < 0.001) time were associated with an increased risk of NSSI. CISM showed that replacing LPA with ST was linked to an elevated risk of NSSI, whereas substituting ST with LPA was associated with a reduced risk of the behavior.

Conclusion: The findings highlight those reasonably allocating adolescents' daily activities, reducing ST, can help lower the risk of NSSI among adolescents.

Background: The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent a global agenda to promote social, economic, and environmental development by 2030. Medical students, as future healthcare providers, have a critical role in advancing these goals, particularly Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing. This study assessed knowledge and perceptions of SDGs among medical students at King Saud University in the context of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2024 and April 2025, targeting undergraduate medical students across all academic years. Stratified random sampling was employed, and data were collected using a validated online questionnaire that assessed demographics, knowledge, and perception. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and logistic regression [SPSS version 29.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA)], with significance set at p ≤ 0.05.

Results: A total of 425 students participated (55.5% male; median age 21). Good knowledge of the SDGs was demonstrated by 54.6% of participants, while 64.9% showed positive perceptions. Knowledge levels improved with advancing academic year. Female students showed significantly more favorable perceptions of the SDGs. While younger students ( ≤ 21 years) initially appeared more favorable in unadjusted analysis, this association was not independently significant after adjustment.

Conclusions: While overall awareness of the SDGs among medical students was acceptable, gaps in detailed knowledge remain. Early and structured integration of SDG-related content into the medical curriculum is recommended to foster deeper understanding and engagement, thereby preparing future physicians to contribute more effectively to sustainable development efforts.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the associations among university students' health literacy, health-seeking behaviors, and overall wellbeing.

Materials and method: This descriptive study, grounded in a quantitative research design, was conducted among undergraduate students enrolled at a foundation university in Istanbul, Türkiye, between April and May 2024. A total of 219 students who were reached online through Google Forms and voluntarily consented to participate constituted the study sample. Data were collected using four instruments: the Personal Information Form, the European Health Literacy Scale, the Health-Seeking Behavior Scale, and the PERMA Wellbeing Scale.

Results: Among the participants, 30.1% demonstrated inadequate health literacy, 38.8% had problematic health literacy, 23.7% had adequate health literacy, and 7.3% exhibited excellent health literacy. The mean score for health-seeking behavior was 2.60 ± 0.51, and the mean PERMA wellbeing score was 6.92 ± 1.53. A moderate negative correlation was identified between health literacy and health-seeking behavior, while a weak negative correlation was found between health-seeking behavior and PERMA wellbeing. Although the correlation between health literacy and wellbeing was not statistically significant, students with adequate health literacy reported higher wellbeing scores than those with problematic levels. Regression analysis revealed that higher levels of health-seeking behavior were a negative predictor of wellbeing, whereas health literacy did not significantly predict wellbeing.

Conclusion: The results suggest that a substantial proportion of university students demonstrate inadequate or problematic health literacy. Although greater engagement in health-seeking behaviors may be associated with lower wellbeing, the higher wellbeing scores observed among students with adequate health literacy underscore the importance of comprehensive health education and targeted support interventions. Universities are encouraged to develop and implement programs aimed at improving health literacy, ensuring access to credible digital health resources, and reinforcing social support networks to promote overall student wellbeing.

Background: The detection of microplastics (MPs) in human blood has sparked global concern, yet public understanding and associated anxiety in high-exposure regions like India remain underexplored.

Methods: This cross-sectional survey (September 2023-March 2025) involved 1,200 Indian adults using stratified sampling across age, gender, education, income, and urban/rural residence. A validated 30-item questionnaire assessed awareness sources, knowledge accuracy, and MP-specific anxiety (adapted GAD-7). Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression in R (v4.3.1).

Results: 75% of participants were aware of MPs in blood (primarily via social media, 58%), but only 28% correctly identified ingestion as the main pathway and 25% understood realistic health implications (e.g., inflammation, potential coagulation effects). Mean anxiety score was 7.8 ± 3.2 (mild-moderate), with higher levels among social media users (OR = 1.7, p < 0.001) and those with low health literacy (OR = 2.3, p < 0.001). Younger adults (18-35 years) showed highest awareness (82%) but also misinformation (e.g., 45% linking MPs directly to cancer).

Conclusion: Significant gaps persist between awareness and evidence-based knowledge, fueling unnecessary anxiety. Targeted media literacy and public health campaigns are essential in India and similar settings.

Objective: This study was designed to test the relationship between physical activity and social adaptation among high school students, as well as the mediating effects of interpersonal relationships and psychological resilience in this association.

Methods: High school students (N = 1,093) in Henan Province, China, completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short From (IPAQ-S), the Interpersonal Relationship Comprehensive Diagnostic Scale, the Adolescent Psychological Resilience Scale, and the Social Adaptive Capacity Diagnostic Scale in their classrooms. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software and the Process plugin, and data visualization was carried out using RStudio.

Results: (1) Physical activity was correlated with social adaptation, as well as with both mediators. (2) Interpersonal relationships and psychological resilience independently mediated the relationship between physical activity and social adaptation. Furthermore, physical activity was associated with social adaptation through the chain mediation effects of interpersonal relationships and psychological resilience.

Conclusion: The results highlight interpersonal relationships and psychological resilience as mechanisms of the association between high schoolers' physical activity and social adaptation. These findings provide a practical basis for developing interventions aimed at improving high school students' social adaptation abilities.

Objective: To systematically compare the quality of educational videos about anxiety and depression among university students on YouTube and Bilibili, and to provide evidence-based guidance for cross-cultural digital mental-health education.

Methods: Before 20 November 2025, we searched YouTube and Bilibili with English and Chinese keywords and collected the first 100 videos returned by default ranking on each platform. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, the remaining videos were evaluated by a third assessor in a double-blind manner using the Video Information and Quality Index (VIQI), the Global Quality Score(GQS)and the modified DISCERN (mDISCERN) scales to assess scientific accuracy, safety and educational value. Platform differences were analyzed with non-parametric tests and correlation analyses.

Results: The final sample comprised 80 YouTube and 77 Bilibili videos. Median views, likes, and comments were markedly higher on Bilibili (p < 0.05). Verified accounts supplied 43.75% of YouTube content but only 28.57% of Bilibili content; licensed mental-health professionals appeared in fewer than 6% of videos on either platform. YouTube favoured television-style or documentary formats, whereas Bilibili relied heavily on single-speaker narratives and animations. YouTube outperformed Bilibili on overall VIQI, GQS, and mDISCERN scores (p < 0.01). On Bilibili, high user engagement correlated moderately to strongly with quality, yet absolute quality scores remained low.

Conclusion: Platform architecture, not popularity, drives content quality. YouTube's longer, institution-produced videos set the benchmark, whereas Bilibili trades scientific rigor for real-time chat and high engagement. Both sites remain short of licensed professionals. To prevent digital platforms from amplifying student anxiety, we recommend (a) embedding a quality-weighted algorithmic boost and (b) a sustained "verified expert + student co-creation" pipeline that disseminates evidence-based content at scale.

Background: Childhood obesity is a growing global public health issue, with increasing prevalence worldwide, including in China. The rise in obesity-related pediatric conditions requiring surgical intervention underscores the need to address this challenge in pediatric surgical care. However, research on this topic is limited. This study aimed to assess pediatric surgical nurses' knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and factors influencing their behavioral intentions.

Methods: This is a dual-center, cross-sectional study. Nurses in direct clinical care roles at two medical institutions in China were randomly selected and completed a questionnaire assessing their knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions. Factors associated with their attitudes, and behavioral intentions were investigated.

Results: A total of 178 nurses participated in the study. Most demonstrated an acceptable level of obesity-related health knowledge and generally positive attitudes toward pediatric patients with obesity. However, gaps in professional preparedness and persistent weight bias were identified. Behavioral intentions were positively correlated with nurses' BMI (r = 0.16, p = 0.04) and positive attitudes (r = 0.20, p = 0.01), and negatively correlated with perceived weight bias (r = -0.39, p < 0.01) and negative attitudes toward treating pediatric patients with obesity (r = -0.45, p < 0.01). Behavioral intentions were not correlated with obesity-related knowledge or other participant characteristics.

Conclusion: Nurses' attitudes and personal factors, rather than knowledge alone, are more correlated with caregiving behavioral intentions toward pediatric patients with obesity. Addressing biases and enhancing professional preparedness through targeted education are crucial for improving care in pediatric surgical settings in China.