International Journal of Public Health最新文献

Objectives: This study examines SARS-CoV-2 infection by occupational class (OC) among working adults during the early pandemic in France and the mediating role of work-related exposures in regions highly and less affected by COVID-19.

Methods: We analyzed data from 46,849 workers in the French EpiCoV cohort. SARS-CoV-2 infection was defined by self-reported COVID-19-like symptoms between mid-March and the end of June 2020. We related OC with reporting COVID-19-like symptoms in both regions and assessed the mediating effect of work-related exposures using the Karlson-Holm-Breen method of mediation analysis.

Results: During the study period, 7.1% of workers reported COVID-19-like symptoms. In less-affected regions, the highest OC workers reported symptoms more often than the lowest, while in the highly affected regions, middle OCs reported symptoms more often than those in the upper class. Regardless, work-related factors increased symptom risk in the middle and lower OCs compared to the highest OC.

Conclusion: Distinct transmission dynamics shaped the evolution of occupational class disparities during the early pandemic. Workplace exposures played a significant role in these disparities, even when offset by other exposure-related factors.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between regional inequality in emergency medical supply resources and in-hospital mortality among patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in South Korea.

Methods: We analyzed data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service claims database, focusing on 53,770 AMI patients admitted to emergency departments between 2012 and 2020. The inequality index of emergency medical supply resources was calculated based on the availability of emergency percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) within each region.

Results: Among 53,770 AMI patients, 4,840 (9.0%) died in-hospital. After adjusting for covariates, patients residing in areas with higher inequality indices had increased risk of in-hospital mortality compared to those in areas with the lowest inequality (index 0.50-0.75: HR 1.504, 95% CI 1.198-1.889; index ≥0.75: HR 1.689, 95% CI 1.493-1.910).

Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of equitable distribution of emergency medical resources to reduce in-hospital mortality among AMI patients. Policymakers should prioritize strategies to address regional disparities in emergency medical supply resources to improve health outcomes.

Wrist-worn wearables are increasingly used to monitor movement behaviours in research and daily life. While consumer- and research-grade devices share overlapping capabilities, guidance on selecting the most appropriate device for specific research contexts remains limited. We provide an expert-opinion-based perspective to support device selection based on three key dimensions: (1) contextual and procedural requirements, (2) scientific requirements, and (3) device and user requirements. The perspective is based on discussions within the Swiss School of Public Health+ 'Big Data in Public Health' workshop and a targeted, non-systematic literature review, as well as expert feedback. It is illustrated using two case examples: monitoring movement in Parkinson's disease and promoting physical activity in older adults. This perspective may help novices in the field of wearable research by providing guidance that could facilitate informed decision-making, balancing scientific rigour with practical feasibility, and supporting the effective integration of wearable technologies in movement behaviour research.

Objectives: The study aimed to provide a comparative analysis of HRQoL and its health-related and socio-demographic correlates among Ukrainian refugees and general population in Estonia.

Methods: Study used age and sex matched data (1249 pairs) from two representative cross-sectional surveys covering Ukrainian refugees aged 18-64 years residing in Estonia (n = 1,430), and the general population (n = 2007) of Estonia in 2024. Tobit-regression was used to compare the EQ-5D-3L index values in both groups while controlling for wide range of socio-demographic and health indicators.

Results: Refugees reported less restrictions in mobility, self-care or in performing usual activities, whereas higher prevalence of pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression was found for refugees compared to control group. Refugees had slightly lower EQ-5D index score (estimate -0.017, p = 0.029) compared to population controls after adjustment for socio-demographic and health-related covariates.

Conclusion: Variations in EQ-5D-3L dimensions and index scores between refugees and population controls contribute to the literature on refugee HRQoL and extend the knowledge on HRQoL of Ukrainian refugees in the context of ongoing refugee crisis in Europe while also improving knowledge for support provision to this refugee group in Estonia.