Global Transitions最新文献

Background

Climate change has shifted and will continue to alter the patterns of daytime and nighttime temperatures. However, it remains unclear whether hot days and nights, as well as cold days and nights, have varying impacts on mental disorders.

Methods

Daily hospital-based data on 1.2 million outpatient visits for mental disorders were obtained from 15 Chinese cities (2011-2015). The index of hot day excess, hot night excess, cold day excess, and cold night excess were used to measure the intensity of hot/cold days and nights. Firstly, a distributed lag non-linear model was used to estimate the risk of mental disorders associated with hot/cold days and nights for each city. Secondly, city-specific estimates were pooled by multivariate meta-analysis to obtain national effect estimates. Thirdly, the attributable fraction of mental disorders was estimated for the nation, genders, age groups, heating methods, and air conditioning penetration rates.

Results

Our findings revealed that both hot and cold nights were associated with a higher risk of mental disorders compared to hot and cold days. The attributable fraction of mental disorders was higher for cold (night: 25.74%; day: 19.65%) in contrast to heat (night: 16.91%; day: 7.24%). Males, the elderly, cities using central heating, and cities with low air conditioning penetration rates were vulnerable to cold nights.

Conclusions

This nationwide study highlights the adverse effects and significant burden of hot and cold nights on mental disorders. It underscores the potential for mitigating these impacts through the adoption of air conditioning, particularly in southern cities across China.

Objective

The study aimed to evaluate the potential effect of creative concepts and scripts of different short videos for the “National Anti-Cigarette Gift Giving Campaign” during the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Methods

The concept testing study used a mix-method design combining quantitative survey and qualitative group discussion. Online focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted among general population in Beijing, the capital city, and Xining City, Qinghai Province in China in December 2021. A total of 192 participants were recruited and divided into 16 FGD groups by age, sex, smoking history, and socio-economic level.

Results

A total of five short videos were tested. Both quantitative and qualitative findings showed that the concepts and scripts of all the alternative short videos were easy to understand, but differences were observed in their potential to change participants’ behavioral intentions of cigarette gift-giving and culture appropriateness. “Gamified couple at home” was considered as the most suitable short video for wide dissemination during the Chinese Lunar New Year because of its innovative style and potential effectiveness in changing behavioral intentions. Although the short video themed “Gifting harm” showed a pronounced impact on personal motivation to not give cigarettes as gifts, it was not recommended due to the cultural inappropriateness.

Conclusion

Future development of public service advertisements such as short videos targeting tobacco control is suggested to use evidence-based research to identify the most effective and appropriate concepts. Due consideration should be extended to the cultural appropriateness of communication content and its alignment with the relevant occasion.

The European Union has implemented various strategies and policies to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus-19 pandemic and promote recovery. This article reviews the European Union’s response and management decisions, examines the public health measures implemented to contain the virus, and explores the Union’s economic recovery and support initiatives. These include the “NextGenerationEU” recovery fund, the “European Support” instrument to mitigate “Unemployment Risks in an Emergency” (SURE) program, and the Multiannual Financial Framework recognizing the EU’s efforts to promote social welfare and inclusion during the pandemic. The challenges and lessons learned from the EU’s experience are analyzed, highlighting the importance of solidarity, cooperation, and resilience in crisis management. Drawing from the pandemic, this study explores the prospects and conclusions drawn from the pandemic, the need for building more resilient healthcare systems, fostering environmentally sustainable initiatives, strengthening social protection and inclusion, enhancing crisis preparedness and response, and promoting global health and equity.

Newly emerging infectious diseases are vital issues that impact global health, social stability, economic development, and national security. While infectious disease prevention and control is a highly practical discipline, effective theoretical guidance remains indispensable in infectious disease prevention and control practices. During the past three years of responding to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we have observed that the traditional “Three-Step Two-Factor” theory is not sufficient to meet the contemporary societal needs for newly emerging infectious disease prevention and control. Building upon years of experience in responding to infectious diseases, we have innovatively developed the “Triangle Model” theory for the prevention and control of infectious diseases. This model has been successfully applied in China's practices and management decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic. We introduce the definition, characteristics of the “Triangle Model” theory, as well as shared practical experience in China, to provide a theoretical reference for future prevention and control of newly emerging infectious diseases in China and other countries.

This article delves into social entrepreneurship experience and fills a void in the extant literature by determining the post-COVID perspective contribution of social entrepreneurship activities. The research presents a nuanced perspective on the potential impact of social entrepreneurship on sustainable development across various geographical areas. We highlight an essential discovery that social entrepreneurship impacts sustainable development across diverse geographical regions. When addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, we must consider economic reasoning, theoretical implications, and geographical and socio-economic factors. Such considerations would significantly contribute to our collective efforts to overcome this global crisis. Adopting a strategic and effective method towards social entrepreneurship can accelerate the achievement of SDGs and promote equitable, sustainable development.

Despite an increasing global demand for the implementation of necessary measures to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the increasing number of disaster and public health emergencies, and the outcomes of recent crises, have proven to be a real obstacle to achieving these goals. The outcomes of several past events, in particular the coronavirus-19 pandemic crisis, illustrate a turning point in achieving these goals due to its political, economic, and sociocultural impacts. Since the United Nations' sustainable development goals are interrelated, they are all prone to internal and external disturbances. The analysis of past events has particularly revealed that the lack of partnership, peace, justice, and strong institutional structure, is the main obstacle to achieving these goals. This rapid review confirms the impact of disasters and public health emergencies on two major sustainable development goals, i.e., goals 16 and 17, indicating a need for global partnership (goal 17) to achieve peace, justice, and a strong institutional structure (goal 16) as a prerequisite to achieving the entire United Nation's development goals.

To more fully assess the far-reaching effects of fossil fuel combustion on humanity, it is necessary to gain an in-depth understanding of the full impact of fossil fuels on human health and lifetime potential. However, current knowledge of the long-term consequences of fossil fuel use on health damage in early life, such as human capital impacts in adulthood, is still insufficient. This paper aims to summarize the current evidence on the health effects of fossil fuel-driven air pollution and climate change on children and the consequent effect on human capital stemming from these early health damages. Evidence indicates that climate change and air pollution not only deteriorate children's health but also affect the entire human capital in their adulthood and can be deeply affected through damaged early-life health. Fossil fuel combustion can significantly impact the lifelong health and human capital for generations. We call for a more holistic assessment of the full range of impacts borne by children, including direct damages to children's health, losses of human capital, and associated economic costs. Cross-disciplinary collaboration is vital to facilitate research on such assessments, thereby enriching our understanding of the multifaceted impact of fossil fuel combustion on the early life and its long-term implications on human capital and economic potential.

Background

Long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health services utilization is unknown. We aim to assess the long-term effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on health services utilization in China.

Methods

Between Jan 2017 and Dec 2021, we conducted a nationwide longitudinal study using routinely collected data on health services utilization in the National Health Information System of China. We extracted national and provincial data of demographic characteristics, socio-economic characteristics, and health resources. Interrupted time-series segmented negative binominal regression models were used.

Results

A total of 34.2 billion health facilities visits and 1.1 billion inpatients discharged were included. The largest negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the health services utilization was during containment period, that health facility visits were observed 32% reduction in hospitals (adjusted incidence risk ratios [aRRs] 0.68, 95%CI: 0.50–0.92), 27% reduction in community health centers (aRR 0.73, 95%CI: 0.57–0.93), and 22% reduction township centers (aRR 0.78, 95%CI: 0.67–0.91), respectively. The impact on health facility visits and inpatients discharged were reduced and eliminated over time (all p>0.05). However, the negative impact on utilization rate of beds, average length of stay, average inpatient costs, and average outpatient costs in different level of health facilities still existed two years later (all p<0.05).

Conclusions

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health services utilization was largest during containment period and reduced over time, but it still existed two years later. There are disparities in the recovery of health services. Our findings highlighted the importance of maintaining primary healthcare services during the pandemic and strengthen resilient health system on the rapid recovery of medical services.

Pressures from the healthcare systems have led to decreased lengths of hospital stay and home-based long-term rehabilitation for the elderly hospitalized patients, while the elderly patients with home-based rehabilitation remain at high risk of hospital re-admission, adverse events and mortality. As the modern technology advances, previous research has proposed the concept of smart hospital and smart home for the elderly's health. However, no evidence of smart homes tailored to home-based rehabilitation for the elderly patients discharged from hospital is available. Moreover, how to link smart hospitals and smart homes to generate a joint environment for elderly patients' accelerated recovery, is a worthwhile endeavor. To address this important gap between smart hospitals and smart homes for the elderly who require home-based recovery after discharge, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital recently initiated the development of a novel model, named smart home wards (SHWs). The SHWs may have the potential to extend homes as part of the hospital wards by breaking down the information silos between smart hospitals and smart homes, and eventually improve the elderly patients' health outcomes in a cost-effective approach for our aging population.

Background

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as a significant health issue due to its association with a growing proportion of cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases (CLDs). To obtain a profound understanding of the burden of cirrhosis and other CLDs due to NAFLD, we aim to present a comprehensive analysis from 1990 to 2019.

Methods

The study utilized data from the Global Burden of Disease database.

Results

From 1990 to 2019, the global incidence, prevalence, death, and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) numbers increased 93%, 120%, 77%, and 62%, respectively. Despite the age-standardized death rate (ASDR) and the age-standardized DALY decreased, the age-standardized incident rate (ASIR) and age-standardized prevalent rate (ASPR) increased from 1.50 to 1.63 and 12065.15 to 15022.90 per 100,000 people, respectively. A higher incidence rate was observed among middle-aged individuals, while a higher prevalence, death, and DALY rates were among the elderly. Males remained higher number of prevalence, death, DALY cases than females. The low-middle and high socio-demographic index (SDI) region had the highest increase of ASIR and ASPR, respectively. The low SDI region had the largest decrease in ASDR and age-standardized DALY.

Conclusions

An increasing cases of cirrhosis and other CLDs due to NAFLD was observed. The ASIR and ASPR showed a worsening trend, while ASDR and age-standardized DALY showed an improving trend. Middle-aged and older people are more susceptible. Males experienced a higher burden than females.