BMC Public Health最新文献

Background: Adolescence is an essential stage of life during which individuals develop knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors that can have significant impacts on their present and future health. Therefore, health literacy issue among adolescents is a pressing matter. Understanding adolescents' perspectives of health literacy is crucial for making informed interventions. However, the topic remains unexplored in developing countries like Ethiopia. This study seeks to explore adolescents' perspectives of health literacy within their socio-environmental context in Ethiopia and draw out the implications.

Methods: This study employed qualitative research approach, utilizing in-depth interviews and focus group discussions as methods of data collection. Data collection took place from March to October 2023, involving 86 participants (41 male and 45 female) selected through purposive sampling (maximum variation sampling) to capture a wide range of perspectives on the issue. The data analysis followed a thematic analysis approach, using Atlas.ti (version 7.5.18) software.

Results: From the adolescents' perspectives, health literacy or being health literate is regarded as comprising various competencies and qualities essential for health, including health awareness and knowledge, abilities to deal with health information, practicing healthy behaviors, upholding healthy norms and values of the community, and being a responsible citizen. The adolescents regard health literacy or being health literate as highly beneficial in healthcare, disease prevention, health maintenance and enhancement, and in taking responsibility not only for ones' own health but also for the health of others, thereby benefiting those around them and their community and society. However, this study found notable gaps in health literacy among the adolescents, influenced by various factors ranging from individual to community and societal levels.

Conclusion: The study explored health literacy from adolescents' perspectives in Ethiopia, and contributed to understanding of the issue. It identified notable gaps in adolescent health literacy and provided insights into the enabling and hindering factors. This study laid the ground for developing a health literacy tool sensitive to the Ethiopian sociocultural context and for broader studies to enhance understanding and to develop effective interventions to improve and promote health literacy among adolescents and within the broad society.

Objectives: This paper explores the prevalence and factors contributing to depression among truck drivers in India. The aim is to identify specific factors associated with depression in this population and to provide suggestions for mitigating these factors.

Methods: The study employs an observational cross-sectional analytical approach to explore truck drivers on National Highways through Jaipur, Rajasthan. It explored how work routine, workspace conditions, and family/social engagement impact depression. Variables included work hours, rest breaks, driving conditions, and social factors like police harassment. A sample of 300 drivers was selected using Probability Proportional to Size sampling from four randomly chosen halt points, based on average truck traffic, meeting criteria like experience and vehicle type.

Results: The study surveyed truck drivers aged 22-56 years (average 35, SD = 6.6) and identified significant associations between depression and factors like working hours (χ2 = 51.227, p = .000), police humiliation (χ2 = 21.740, p = .000), workspace distraction (χ2 = 89.463, p = .000), and uncomfortable workspace conditions (χ2 = 7.997, p = .005). Age (χ2 = 3.083, p = .079) and marital status (χ2 = 1.782, p = .182) were not significant. Job satisfaction (B = 1.813, p = .001) and supervisor support (B = 1.156, p = .018) were significantly linked to depression.

Conclusions: The study concludes that multiple factors significantly influence the likelihood of experiencing depression among truck drivers. Based on these findings, several recommendations are proposed to help reduce depression rates in this population. These include making mental health services readily available and accessible, implementing strict regulations on working hours to prevent excessive fatigue, and preventing police humiliation and abuse. This research contributes to the growing concern about the mental health of truck drivers in India and underscores the need for effective interventions to address these issues comprehensively.

Brain fog is a highly common condition that can have significant impacts on quality of life and functioning. Most people will experience a condition, illness, or infection that might result in the development of brain fog. We provide a call to action to minimise the impacts of brain fog.

Background: The increasing sedentary behaviour and burden of non-communicable diseases among office workers raise significant concerns. Height-adjustable sit-to-stand desks offer a potential solution, yet uptake remains challenging, limiting their effectiveness and long-term adoption. The experiences of office workers who withdrew from a height-adjustable sit-to-stand desk intervention need to be explored to inform program refinement.

Methods: A qualitative approach was used, with pre-identified themes guiding data collection, while subthemes emerged inductively from transcripts and field notes. Twelve participants with a mean age of 46.0 years were conveniently sampled. These office workers withdrew from a height-adjustable standing desk randomised controlled trial and did not form any part of other studies. One-on-one semi-structured interviews guided data collection about the participants' experiences and reasons for early withdrawal from the intervention. Data were thematically analysed using Atlas.ti 23.

Results: Most participants were female (n = 10, 83.3%). All participants completed high school, while 41.7% completed a postgraduate degree from a university and credit bureau company. Despite the participants' understanding of the benefits of height-adjustable sit-to-stand workstations, most of the participants discontinued the intervention due to perceived barriers that aligned with the themes: "discomforts and dislikes", "applicability and practicality", "people's perception-i.e., what other people will say" and "transitioning to electronic sit-to-stand desks".

Conclusions: The findings of this study may assist in formulating a policy to improve compliance with height-adjustable sit-to-stand workstations in the workplace. Future studies should consider individual preferences, design, functionality, knowledge, and motivation to ensure effective implementation, utilisation, and compliance with height-adjustable sit-to-stand workstations.

Background: Exposure to air pollution specifically particulate matter causes significant health risk to children which increases their susceptibility to respiratory diseases.

Objectives: This review aimed to pool the association between particulate matter exposure and childhood asthma and wheeze among children and adolescents.

Methods: This review included observational study articles retrieved from electronic data bases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Hinari, Science Direct, and Semantic Scholar from 1996 to June 17, 2024. Data were extracted and analyzed using Microsoft Excel 16 and STATA version 17, respectively. Joanna Briggs Institute evaluation criteria and I² test statistics were used for quality and heterogeneity assessment, respectively.

Results: Fourty seven studies with a total of 417,874 of children and adolescents met the inclusion criteria. The pooled odd ratio (OR) of the association between Particulate Matter with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less (PM10) and Particulate Matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less (PM2.5) with asthma were 1.04 (95% CI: 1.03-1.06, p < 0.001) with significant extreme heterogeneity (I² = 82.7%, p < 0.001) and 1.05 (95% CI 1.04-1.07, p < 0.001) with high heterogeneity (I² = 80.6%, p < 0.001) among the included studies, respectively. The overall pooled estimate indicates a statistically significant association between PM10 and wheeze, with OR of 1.06 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.07) and moderate heterogeneity among included studies (I²=57.5%, p < 0.007) where as more association was observed between PM2.5 and wheeze with OR of 1.15. (95% CI: 1.10, 1.20) with an (I² =72.8%, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated a statistically significant association between exposure to both PM10 and PM2.5 and the occurrence of asthma and wheezing in children and adolescents. Both PM10 and PM2.5 are associated with increased odds of asthma and wheezing, with PM2.5 showing a stronger relationship. The significant levels of heterogeneity observed suggest variations across studies, which may be due to differences in study designs, exposure level and outcome measurement types. These findings indicate the need for strategies to reduce particle air pollution to mitigate its adverse effects on children's respiratory health.

Background: Human-centered design (HCD) and behavioral science are structured, evidence-based methodologies used to develop and evaluate community-driven interventions. While HCD focuses on deeply understanding user needs and co-designing solutions, behavioral science applies empirically tested principles to drive behavior change. Together, these methodologies enable the development of interventions that are both user-centered and behaviorally informed. The Pima County Health Department and project partners leveraged these collaborative methodologies to assemble a Community of Practice to improve health literacy and adherence to COVID-19 public health practices among Hispanic/Latine individuals of childbearing age and ability in Pima County.

Methods: Human-centered design processes identified and evaluated barriers facing the target population. On the basis of these findings, two pilot interventions were implemented between July 2023 and November 2023: one in a clinical setting with 92 participants and another in a community setting with 207 participants. A mixed-methods approach was used to evaluate the impact of these pilots. Quantitatively, a pre-post evaluation and survey design estimated the effect of an intervention by comparing outcomes before and after implementation using paired t-test and chi-square tests. Qualitatively, structured post intervention interviews were conducted with participants who were randomly selected based upon their initial consent and willingness to participate.

Results: Participants in the clinical and community pilots perceived fewer barriers to health-seeking behaviors after the intervention. Both pilots increased participants' confidence in health-seeking behaviors (p < 0.01). Only the clinical pilot resulted in an increase in health literacy. In the clinical pilot, the number of unvaccinated participants decreased, and the number of participants who reported needing a booster increased. The community pilot did not find a statistically significant difference in COVID-19 vaccine uptake.

Conclusions: Integrating human-centered design and behavioral science into public health interventions can improve health literacy and confidence in health-seeking behaviors among historically and contemporarily excluded populations. Local health departments can use these methods to develop multicomponent interventions that foster mutual co-invention with communities and improve population health outcomes. Future research should focus on long-term impacts and explore broader applications of these approaches in different contexts.

Trial registration: This project received University of Arizona IRB review and approval. This study was not considered a randomized controlled trial and did not require registration.

Background: The role of introversion and extraversion in shaping pandemic responses remains understudied in the field of public health. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate differences in perceptions of COVID-19's impact, psychological status, knowledge of COVID-19, infection rate, and preferred preparations among introverts and extroverts.

Methods: This study utilized a cross-sectional design. From May to June 2022, an online survey was conducted, involving 1,990 adults in Hong Kong. Regression analyses were employed to identify personality differences across 58 outcomes of interest. To account for multiplicity, adjustments were made using the Holm-Bonferroni method.

Results: Extroverts reported a greater increase in having a meal at home (adjusted p [adj.p] < 0.001), while introverts' sleep quality decreased more (adj.p < 0.001). Although no statistical difference was detected between the decrease they showed in emotional stress (adj.p = 1.000) and mental burden (adj.p = 1.000), introverts had higher levels of anxiety (adj.p = 0.006), depression (adj.p < 0.001), and fear (adj.p = 0.026), whereas extroverts had stronger out of control feelings (adj.p = 0.010). Besides, extroverts had higher self-rated knowledge on COVID-19 knowledge (adj.p = 0.016) and prevention (adj.p < 0.001). Moreover, extroverts perceived higher importance in online consultation with doctors, instant personalized health by online chatbot, online courses, instant streaming courses, medicine delivery, online shopping, and food delivery (all adj.p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Introverts could benefit most from interventions addressing sleep quality, anxiety, depression, fear, and knowledge promotion about COVID-19, while extroverts could benefit most from approaches that address feeling out of control. Extroverts had higher preferences for online consultations, instant personalized health via online chatbots, streaming courses, online courses, and medicine delivery, emphasizing the importance of considering personality in field of telemedicine, e-health, and remote medicine practice. These findings have important implications for pandemic response and preparedness, highlighting the role of personality in public health emergencies.

Background: Sepsis is a life-threatening complication of the body's response to fighting an infection. The global burden of sepsis is incredibly high, accounting for an estimated 20% percent of all global deaths as well as high hospitalization costs and long-term multifaceted sequelae. As most sepsis starts in the community, public knowledge of sepsis is essential to rapid identification and medical intervention. The current study is part of multi-study collaborative research program. Following a scoping review and national survey to assess public knowledge of sepsis, we conducted focus groups to explore the lived experiences and perspectives of sepsis survivors and family members with the goal to inform development of a sepsis public education campaign.

Methods: We co-designed a focus group guide covering three broad discussion topics: circumstances leading to sepsis, impacts of sepsis, and interactions with healthcare providers. Participants were purposively recruited through the previous national survey and through Sepsis Canada communications. We used a hybrid deductive-inductive approach to code transcripts and generate themes related to developing a sepsis public education campaign.

Results: We conducted 11 focus groups with 32 participants. Participants' median age was 53 years (Interquartile Range = 48, 64). Three-quarters (n = 23/32; 72%) self-identified as women, and all participants reported having some post-secondary education. All but one sepsis survivor were adults at the time of their diagnosis. We synthesized three overarching campaign messages from participant's accounts of profound physical and mental impacts of sepsis and perceptions of health system failures: (1) sepsis is serious and common, (2) know the signs of sepsis, and (3) be health attentive and advocate health needs. Potential barriers to message uptake were: (1) sepsis is not well-known or easily understood, (2) perceptions that sepsis is not personally relevant, and (3) health messaging fatigue. Suggestions to effectively hook and draw public attention to sepsis centered on using personal stories and partnering with other health campaigns.

Conclusions: Our analysis of participant's lived experiences with sepsis suggest that public communications should aim to (1) improve sepsis symptom recognition, (2) foster perceptions that sepsis is personally relevant, and (3) cultivate and support health advocacy.

Background: Despite gains made in child survival, morbidity and mortality remain high in sub-Saharan Africa. Seeking healthcare at health facilities for sick children under-five within 24 h of onset of symptoms is key to mitigating severe morbidity and mortality. However, literature on this outcome is limited and poses challenges for monitoring caregivers' adherence to prompt health seeking behaviour. This study assessed the prevalence and determinants of prompt caregiver health seeking behaviour (HSB) for sick under-fives in two districts in the Volta Region of Ghana.

Methods: The study was conducted among 770 caregivers/children in the Ho West and Adaklu districts of the Volta Region. Data on caregiver and child characteristics and knowledge of childhood illness symptoms/ signs among others were obtained. Summary statistics were presented as frequencies and percentages. Logistic regression was used to assess for association between prompt HSB and independent variables including caregiver and child socio-demographics. Odds ratios were presented with 95% confidence intervals at a statistical significance of p < 0.05 in the final model.

Results: Almost 93% (714/770) of the caregivers were females while about three-quarters (559/767) were aged 20-39 years. The mean age of the study children was 24.1 months. Of caregivers who sought formal health care the last time their children fell ill, only about 59% (337/573) did so within 24 h of symptoms onset. Less than 10% (52/770) of caregivers had adequate knowledge of childhood danger signs while about 64% (492/770) had decision-making capacity regarding sending a sick child to a health facility. Male children had twice the odds of caregivers' prompt HSB compared to females [AOR 2.02 95% CI: 1.24, 3.27; p = 0.004]. Fourth-born or higher birth order children had 56% reduced odds of prompt HSB [AOR 0.44 95% CI: 0.26, 0.75; p = 0.003].

Conclusion: About 60% of those who sought formal care for their sick children did so promptly and this was influenced by the sex and birth order of the child. Public health managers in the study area must promote interventions to improve prompt caregiver HSB, especially for children of higher birth orders. Community education is needed to minimize 'discrimination' against the girl child as far as prompt HSB is concerned.

Background: Gender-based violence (GBV) remains a pervasive public health crisis with devastating impacts on women's health and well-being. Women experiencing GBV face considerable barriers accessing appropriate and timely health and social services. This study explored women's experiences with health and social services in three Canadian cities to understand critical challenges and strengths in service provision for women experiencing GBV.

Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with self-identifying women (n = 21) who had accessed health or social care services and with service providers (n = 25) in three Canadian cities between February 2021 and November 2022. Women's interviews focused on experiences engaging with services including what worked well, the challenges they faced, and their recommendations to enhance service delivery to women experiencing violence. Staff interviews focused on their experiences of providing services within their organization, and the strengths and challenges in providing services to women within their community. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis with a gender-based violence critical feminist lens.

Results: We organized the findings into three interrelated themes. First our results show how the systems within which health and social services are organized, are not designed to meet women's complex needs, with rigid structures, siloed services, and stigmatizing cultures creating significant barriers. Second, the data illustrate how service providers support and empower women through practices such as providing key information, assisting with administrative tasks, offering material resources, and addressing discrimination through advocacy and accompaniment. Third, our findings demonstrate how building an effective working relationship characterized by trust, non-judgment, and collaboration is crucial for service engagement and women's overall well-being.

Conclusions: Findings illuminate critical public health challenges as women navigate fragmented services across multiple and siloed systems not designed to meet their complex needs. There is an urgent need for systemic change to create more integrated, responsive support systems for women experiencing GBV. This includes addressing underlying structures perpetuating gender inequities and violence. Facilitating safe access to holistic services that consider women's preferences is crucial. Effective working relationships built on trust, respect, and power-sharing are key to supporting women's agency and addressing their interconnected needs.