International Journal of Public Health最新文献

Objective: Data on disability in refugees is lacking, hindering effectiveness of humanitarian response. We investigated disability condition in refugees, identifying possible mechanisms that affect their health.

Methods: The Washington Group Short Set - Enhanced was used to identify people at risk experiencing disability. Data on migration routes were collected and the relationship with functioning limitations was explored.

Results: 483 refugees (58.18% males - 41.82% female) were interviewed. 23.8% were found to have a disability, with a higher risk for those who travelled along the central Mediterranean route OR (95% CI) 2.08 (1.33-3.24). Affect domain represented the main weight for disability (28.16%), followed by mobility limitation (8.28%). People who travelled across the central Mediterranean route were found to have a high risk of developing anxiety problems OR (95% CI) 2.19 (1.33-3.6), while people who crossed the Balkan route had a higher risk of mobility limitation OR (95% CI) 3.03 (1.23-7.44).

Conclusion: This study provides the first available data on disability among refugees in Italy, revealing a high prevalence of disability and a significant association with migration routes. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted health and rehabilitation interventions to address the specific vulnerabilities of this population.

Objectives: Discrimination poses a threat to the mental health of university students, especially those affected by social inequality, yet understanding its intersectional impact remains limited. This study examines the intersection of social inequalities with perceived discrimination to explore differences in mental health among students in Germany.

Methods: Data from the cross-sectional project "Survey on study conditions and mental health of university students" (n = 14,592) were analysed using Multilevel Analysis of Individual Heterogeneity and Discriminatory Accuracy (MAIHDA). Depressive symptoms, cognitive stress symptoms, and exhaustion were examined across 48 intersectional strata based on gender, first academic generation, family care tasks, and perceived discrimination.

Results: The MAIHDA analysis revealed substantial between strata variance, with most of it explained by additive rather than intersectional interaction effects. Perceived discrimination, diverse or female gender, first academic generation, and family care tasks (for exhaustion only) were associated with worse mental health outcomes.

Conclusion: The profound associations between perceived discrimination and the mental health among university students call for urgent attention and intervention within university settings. Adopting an intersectional lens is key to identifying and addressing inequalities.

Objectives: To conduct mental health surveillance in adults in Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees (Canton of Zurich, Switzerland) as an actionable scientific foundation for public mental health and mental healthcare.

Methods: Mental Health Assessment of the Population (MAP) is a research program including prospective, population-based, digital cohort studies focused on mental health monitoring. The study aims to include 17,400 people from the general population of Ukraine, 1,220 Ukrainians with refugee status S residing in the canton of Zurich, and 1,740 people from the Zurich general population. The primary endpoints are prevalence and incidence of symptoms of: posttraumatic stress disorder (measured by PCL-5), depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), and alcohol use disorder (AUDIT). Secondary endpoints include participants' health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L and EQ-VAS), experiences of somatic distress syndrome (PHQ-15), social isolation, social integration, and mental wellbeing (SWEMWBS).

Results: Baseline assessment starts in March 2024 with follow-ups occurring every 3 months for at least 2 years.

Conclusion: MAP will generate reliable, comparable, and high-quality epidemiological data to inform public mental health and healthcare policies in the Ukrainian population.

Isrctn registry: https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN17240415.

There is a critical lack of surgical data on individuals who live in urban slums, which hampers the allocation of healthcare resources and the provision of preventative measures. The complex interplay of factors affecting surgical care in slums, such as trust deficits, mental health concerns, and socioeconomic barriers, necessitates a distinct academic approach. We propose that researchers should consider "slum surgical health" as an area of study separate from urban health or slum health. From this perspective, we make a case for defining "slum surgical health" while presenting evidence from multiple countries that shows the unique challenges of providing surgical care in slum settings. We discuss a successful model that has deployed community health worker programs as intermediaries between slum dwellers and healthcare providers. This model, which achieved a 60% conversion rate from unmet to met surgical needs, demonstrates the potential of culturally sensitive, community-based approaches to address surgical inequities in urban slums.

Objectives: Research questions about how and why health trends differ between populations require decisions about data analytic procedure. The objective was to document and compare the information returned from stratified, fixed effect and random effect approaches to data modelling for two prototypical descriptive research questions about comparative trends in toothbrushing.

Methods: Data included five cycles of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children 2006 to 2022, which provided a sample of 980192 11- to 15- year olds from 35 countries. Using logistic regression models and generalized linear mixed models, toothbrushing daily was regressed on time, following the three approaches to analysis of trends.

Results: The stratified approach suggested a positive but non-linear trend in toothbrushing from 2006 to 2022 in most countries but provided no statistical inference on the variation. The fixed effect and the random effect approach converged on a positive but flattening overall trend, with a statistically significant country variation in trends.

Conclusion: Only the fixed effect approach and the random effects approach provided clear answers to the research question. Additional methodological considerations for making an informed choice of analytical approach are discussed.