Public Health Reports最新文献

In this article, we share insights related to the coaching and mentoring of doctor of public health (DrPH) students based on our experience. We discuss the evolution of DrPH programs, which are distinct from research-focused PhD programs, along with challenges faced by faculty members and students. We apply the Community of Inquiry framework as a theoretical foundation and propose a novel service-first focus approach to support mid-career professional DrPH students. Our coaching and mentoring approach focuses on leadership development, collaboration, and 6 critical elements: compassion and empathy, prompting inquisitiveness, goals and milestones, meeting them where they are, partnership, and a coaching mindset. We use a case study approach focused on the University of South Florida College of Public Health's DrPH online program. Testimonials from DrPH alumni illustrate the value of the service-first focus approach. We also discuss the importance of cultivating faculty members who support these students through systems approaches, leadership development, partnership, and trust building. Areas for future research include evaluating the impact of this mentorship approach on student milestone attainment compared with outcomes among students who were mentored in more traditional ways, including those in PhD programs. Such an evaluation would provide valuable data to continue to shape this model. Enlisting other DrPH programs to strengthen the evaluation's rigor would benefit all doctoral programs seeking to accelerate and enhance student success.

Objectives: Infection mitigation practices and health care infrastructure challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays in medical care and chronic disease detection and management. These challenges also hindered healthy lifestyle choices. We analyzed diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality independent of COVID-19 comorbidity to assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on chronic disease mortality.

Methods: We obtained Illinois Vital Records System death records for calendar year 2019 (January 1 through December 1, 2019) and COVID-19 year 1 (March 16, 2020, through March 15, 2021). We included Illinois residents with causes of death recorded as diabetes or CVD and the absence of COVID-19 infection. We calculated age-adjusted mortality rates for diabetes and CVD as underlying causes of death. We examined data by age, sex, race and ethnicity, education, geography, and CVD subtypes.

Results: The infection-independent, all-cause mortality rate per 100 000 population in Illinois increased 3.6% from January 1, 2019, through March 15, 2021 (765.8 [95% CI, 761.2-770.3] vs 793.2 [95% CI, 788.6-797.8]). The overall diabetes mortality rate increased 19.9% (19.6 [95% CI, 18.9-20.3] vs 23.5 [95% CI, 22.7-24.3]). The overall CVD mortality rate change (3.9%; 239.2 [95% CI, 236.7-241.7] vs 248.5 [95% CI, 245.9-251.1]) was similar to the all-cause mortality rate change. Sex, minority race, ethnicity, those with high school diplomas or some college education, middle to older age, and urban residence influenced mortality rate increases among people with diabetes and CVD.

Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic had an infection-independent effect on chronic disease mortality. This knowledge may help public health officials guide policy that protects chronic disease management during future public health emergencies.

Because breastfeeding behaviors are influenced by social norms, we examined public opinions toward societal supports for breastfeeding using data from the 2015 and 2024 SummerStyles surveys (N = 4127 and N = 4371, respectively, from the noninstitutionalized US population). In 2024, 81.9% of respondents agreed "there should be paid maternity leave for workers," 73.5% believed "women should have the right to breastfeed in public places," 66.9% agreed "women should be encouraged to breastfeed," and 65.9% agreed "a mother needs a lot of support to breastfeed her baby"-up 12, 11, 5, and 17 percentage points, respectively, from 2015. High and increased positive public opinions about supports for breastfeeding suggest heightened approval for breastfeeding-supportive programs and policies.

Access to specialized health care often requires patients and caregivers to travel long distances, imposing logistical and financial burdens. Temporary lodging near hospitals is essential for health care access, yet information is fragmented, forcing patients and caregivers to search across multiple websites to see all options available. We conducted a cross-sectional review (April 2023-May 2024) of publicly available data, cataloging US organizations that offer temporary lodging near health care facilities. We geocoded and integrated data into the Healthcare Housing Navigator, an interactive map built with ArcGIS Experience Builder. Our review identified 510 lodging organizations. The tool uses geographic information systems for interactive filtering and displays key details, such as organization name, location, cost, and eligibility criteria. By centralizing fragmented information on medical lodging, the Healthcare Housing Navigator addresses an overlooked health-related social need and equips patients, caregivers, and care teams with timely, accessible information.

One Health clinics integrate human, animal, and environmental health to provide interdisciplinary health care and community resources to people experiencing homelessness (PEH). Five mobile, public health-led One Health clinics were newly implemented in Pima County, Arizona, during October 2023-February 2024. Clinic locations included parks, libraries, and homeless shelters to reduce transportation-related barriers and integrate public health, veterinary, and housing services. Originally designed for PEH and their pets, Pima County One Health clinics were open to everyone in neighborhoods where clinics were hosted to promote community engagement with clinics and strengthen relationships with public health. We evaluated the performance of these clinics by describing service patterns, client perceptions, and lessons learned to support development of clinics by other jurisdictions. During clinic visits, basic demographic information was collected for people and pets, along with data on housing status, environmental and resource concerns, use of clinic services, and perceptions of clinics. The first 5 monthly mobile community clinics served 108 clients and 93 pets; 44% of clients were unhoused or unstably housed, 36% of clients were housed, and housing status was unknown for 20% of clients. Clinics facilitated partnership among service providers and with housed and unhoused community members. Clinics supported vaccine uptake among people and their pets and identified 3 cases of sexually transmitted infections that might otherwise have remained undetected. By implementing a One Health Clinic framework, our local health department helped address gaps in human and veterinary health care services. Other public health agencies might consider implementing similar models to enhance public health engagement with local communities.