Perspectives in Public Health最新文献

Aims: Economic recessions impact on drug use through different channels, with potential conflicting outcomes. Previous studies have reached mixed outcomes, and a clear and comprehensive picture is difficult to depict.

Methods: We use a systematic review of literature - conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines - and a hierarchical mixed-effects meta-analysis to provide a comprehensive quantitative assessment of the relationship between business cycle and the use of drugs by young populations. The heterogeneity of studies was assessed by the I² statistic, and the publication bias was evaluated with contour-enhanced funnel plots.

Results: We identify 25 studies, published over the period 2008-2020. These articles carried out an empirical analysis of the impact of the business cycle on illegal drug consumption in Organisation for Economic Co-operation Development (OECD) countries. Most of the studies (17 studies) covered the 2007 financial crisis. Among the outcomes, 9 studies traced a countercyclical relationship between economic recessions and drug use, 3 showed a procyclical relationship and 13 studies found mixed results. Unemployment was the most widely used variable to assess macroeconomic conditions in most of the studies (21 studies). The meta-analysis shows a partial correlation of .03 (95% confidence interval (CI): .0147-.0453) between the unemployment rate and drug use among young individuals. Therefore, we conclude that, on average, recessions tend to boost drug use. This impact is more marked with cannabis use than it is with cocaine, opioids or other drugs.

Conclusion: This study provides robust evidence that in periods of economic downturns, the young populations tend to increase the use of illegal drugs, with cannabis as their main preference. Therefore, in periods of economic severity, society may particularly benefit from implementing widely reaching public prevention programmes and demand reduction interventions, targeting this subgroup of the population.

Aims: Foodbanks provide emergency food provision. This need can be triggered by a change in circumstance or a crisis. Failures in the social security safety net are the most significant driver for hunger in the UK. There is some evidence that an advisory service which runs alongside a foodbank is more effective in reducing emergency provision and the duration and severity of hunger. The 'Making a Difference' project at an English foodbank is a pilot scheme aiming to increase financial resilience in their service users. From summer 2022, they introduced new advice worker roles, in partnership with Shelter [Housing advice] and Citizen's Advice [General, debt and benefits advice], aiming to pre-empt the need for foodbank use, to triage the financial needs of service users and refer appropriately to reduce repeat visits to the foodbank.

Methods: This qualitative study involved in-depth interviews with four staff and four volunteers to evaluate barriers, facilitators and potential friction points in referrals and partnership working.

Findings: Our data were analysed thematically into four themes: Holistic needs assessment; Reaching seldom heard communities; Empowerment; The needs of staff and volunteers. Two case studies illustrate the complexity of people's needs.

Conclusion: A financial inclusion service operating within foodbanks giving housing, debt and benefits advice shows some promise in reaching people in crisis at the point of need. Based within the heart of a community, it appears to meet the complex needs of very vulnerable people who may have found mainstream support services inaccessible. This asset-based approach with the foodbank as a trusted provider enabled joined up, compassionate, holistic, and person-centred advice quickly cutting across multiple agencies, reaching underserved and socially excluded clients. We suggest that supportive services are needed for volunteers and staff who are vulnerable to vicarious trauma from listening and supporting people in crisis.

This article explores the public health implications of the change from from a coal-fired to a waste-fired power station and concerns for the long term impact of incineration.

This opinion piece looks at while HPV vaccines have been approved for females over 26, they are not currently granted access to this through the NHS. Richie argues that we must close this vaccination gap.

Aims: Exposure to passive smoking among adolescents is a public health concern. This study aims to explore demographic and lifestyle factors associated with perception of passive smoking risk and the mediating effects of exposure to anti-smoking advertisements and education about the dangers of smoking on the relationship between grade levels and the perception.

Method: Data from the Tobacco and E-Cigarette Survey among Malaysian Adolescents (n = 13,117) were analysed. Ordered probit models were used to assess factors associated with passive smoking risk perception (i.e. not harmful, probably not harmful, probably harmful, harmful).

Results: About one-third of adolescents did not perceive that passive smoking was harmful (30.4%). Adolescents with the perception that passive smoking was not harmful were more likely to be students at low grade levels, be males, be non-Malays and be low-pocket-money recipients and those who used e-cigarettes and who smoked. Being aware of anti-smoking advertisements (direct effect = 0.174; indirect effect = 0.012) and taught on the dangers of smoking (direct effect = 0.179; indirect effect = 0.003) partially mediated the positive relationship between grade levels and perceived risk of passive smoking.

Conclusion: Policies implemented to reduce exposure to passive smoking should highlight the important role of demographic factors, lifestyle profiles, anti-smoking advertisements and education about the dangers of smoking in improving passive smoking risk perception among adolescents.

While healthcare delivery in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has made notable strides, the benefits of improved access predominantly favour urban areas, leaving rural communities largely underserved. A multitude of barriers contribute to this disparity, including inadequate funding, a shortage of trained medical professionals, insufficient transportation, underdeveloped infrastructure, and entrenched educational and cultural beliefs. As rural SSA populations grapple with escalating burdens in infectious diseases such as HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, and heightened risks during childbirth and pregnancy, it becomes imperative to confront these obstacles in healthcare delivery and enhance healthcare provision in these regions.

In this article, Festa et al. highlight that the assessment of physical performance is not currently valued as a simple and practical tool for estimating health status in the general population. Consequently, the purpose of this opinion article is to highlight the importance of testing and classifying physical performance as an indicator of overall health, encouraging health professionals to consider them as an accessible and inexpensive tool for the public health context, in contrast to laboratory assessments.