Journal of public health (Oxford, England)最新文献

Background: Social prescribing (SP) connects individuals with community resources to address practical, social and emotional needs affecting health. While predominantly located in primary care, SP models have been introduced in some Emergency Departments (EDs). This study evaluated the feasibility, reach and acceptability of an ED-based SP pilot in the United Kingdom.

Methods: Feasibility and reach were assessed through a retrospective review of anonymised patient trackers and clinical records. Acceptability was evaluated via a staff survey exploring knowledge, attitudes and referral practices.

Results: Over 14 months Social Prescribers supported 1,057 ED patients, with mental wellbeing being the most common referral reason. Patients were signposted or referred to over 200 different community organisations. The programme was valued by ED staff, who recognised its potential to improve patient health and wellbeing. Reported barriers included limited awareness of the out-of-hours referral pathway.

Discussion: This is the first published evaluation of an ED-based SP programme, building upon existing conceptual models and qualitative studies that have explored its potential. The findings demonstrate that the model is both feasible and acceptable to staff, while effectively reaching patients with a broad range of health and social needs. Further research is needed to explore long-term impacts on patient outcomes and broader system-wide benefits.

The aim of this study is to examine the impact of comprehensive group interventions on the psychological health of university students after the Türkiye earthquake centered in Kahramanmaras on 6 February 2023. In this research two different studies were conducted. In Study-1, group guidance was organized for all university students (N = 239) studying at the university where researchers work. In Study-II, group counseling was organized for volunteer students were assigned to the intervention group (N = 9). No intervention was applied to the control group (N = 9). The survey and experimental research model were used. Data collection tools consisted of the Personal Information Form, the Post-traumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire, Positive and Negative Affect Scale, Group Guidance and Counseling Questionnaire. Descriptive analyses and two-factor ANOVA for mixed measures were used. As a result, comprehensive group interventions after the Kahramanmaras-centered earthquake have positive effects on the psychological health of university students.

Background: Parental vaccine hesitancy (VH) remains a public health concern in Georgia, where misinformation and distrust continue to hinder routine childhood immunization. VH is shaped by psychological, sociocultural, and informational factors, including trust in science, public authorities, and religious institutions. This study examined whether trust-related variables were stronger predictors of VH than traditional sociodemographic characteristics.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between 15 May and 13 June 2025, using a structured questionnaire distributed at two pediatric clinics in Tbilisi and online. A total of 1086 parents participated. Vaccine hesitancy was measured using the Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines (PACV) questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26, applying correlation, chi-square, ANOVA, linear regression, and General Linear Models.

Results: The mean PACV score was 10.01, indicating low to moderate hesitancy. Trust in science (mean = 8.16) showed a strong negative association with VH. Trust in public authorities was also inversely related to VH, while higher trust in the Georgian Orthodox Church predicted greater hesitancy.

Conclusion: Trust in science and institutions was more predictive of VH than demographics. Public health strategies should promote scientific literacy and culturally sensitive communication, especially in religious and less-educated communities.

Background: In Nepal, frequent dengue outbreaks have been reported in the past decades leading abrupt and substantial burden to healthcare system. Thus, this study aimed to assess dengue service readiness and factors influencing readiness at health facilities level.

Methods: A convergent parallel mixed method study was conducted in 131 primary healthcare facilities of the Bagmati Province. Key informant interviews were carried out for exploring facilitators and barriers for dengue service readiness.

Results: The majority of primary healthcare facilities were found with sub-optimal readiness for dengue i.e. 63.4% of facilities and readiness was found varied by health facility type, settings, ecological region, and districts. In the study, health facility type [Primary healthcare centers Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 6.1, CI: 1.5-23.9], review and trend analysis practice [AOR: 3.6, CI: 1.1-11.6], and facilities meetings [AOR: 5.8, CI: 1.2-26.7] were identified as key predictors for service readiness. External supervision, quality assurance practice and stakeholder sensitization were explored as facilitators for the readiness.

Conclusions: Improving and expanding dengue services in all primary healthcare facilities, and ecological regions, having regular facilities meeting, review and trend analysis practice and stakeholder sensitization can enhance dengue service readiness at facility level.

Background: The Clalit Active Cohort Study (CACS) assess the impact of lifestyle factors, particularly physical activity, on short- and long-term health outcomes using real-world data. Launched in January 2021, CACS focuses on Clalit Health Services members with supplemental health insurance who use the Clalit Active smartphone app.

Methods: The study integrates data from the Clalit Active app with electronic health records from CHS, covering primary and secondary care, hospitalizations, medications, laboratory results, and imaging. The cohort currently includes 622 584 participants and continues to grow.

Results: The app monitors various health-related behaviors, including physical activity and sleep. Preliminary findings show significant variations in daily step counts based on sociodemographic and clinical factors. Substantial differences were found between app users and non-users app users and non-users. On average, males recorded higher daily step counts compared to females, and individuals under the age of 40 demonstrated greater activity levels than older participants. Participants with pre-existing comorbidities demonstrated lower activity levels.

Conclusions: CACS is a powerful resource for researchers and policymakers, providing insights into the relationship between lifestyle factors and health outcomes within a diverse population. Findings can inform public health policies and guide the lifestyle interventions, highlighting the potential of integrating smartphone data with electronic health records to improve health outcomes.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a growing challenge to both individual and public health, driven by the excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics. Studies emphasize a widespread lack of knowledge regarding proper antibiotic use and the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. This study aims to explore the relationships between citizens' health engagement and attitudes towards antibiotic consumption (Hypothesis 1, Hypothesis 2) and explores the role of orientation to health literacy as a mediator of these relationships (Hypothesis 3).

Methods: Data were collected via a questionnaire administered to a representative sample of the Italian population (N = 1016). Descriptive statistics and mediation analysis, using bootstrapping with 5000 resamples to estimate indirect effects and assess statistical significance.

Results: All hypotheses were confirmed. Health engagement had a significant, positive effect on orientation to health literacy, which was positively associated with attitudes towards antibiotic consumption. Moreover, orientation to health literacy fully mediated the effect of health engagement on attitudes towards antibiotic consumption.

Conclusions: This study highlights the crucial role of health literacy in influencing attitudes towards appropriate antibiotic consumption. Public health interventions should not only encourage individuals to actively engage with their health, but also focus on improving their health literacy, including on specific topics such as AMR.

The concept of 'social distancing' was initially introduced as a public health measure to emphasize the importance of reducing physical proximity to limit viral transmission. It was credited to have saved numerous lives during the pandemic of 1918, which resulted in an estimated 50 million deaths globally. The lesson of history makes it quite clear that pandemics are a recurring threat. This article aims to critically assess a key component of the response to COVID-19, and offer recommendations that can mitigate the impact of future global biological and mental health crises.

Background: The role of a brief intervention (BI) for smoking cessation with patients using National Health Service (NHS) ambulance services is underexplored but may reach tobacco smokers currently not engaging with NHS stop smoking services (SSS).

Methods: A BI comprising smoking cessation education, a referral to local NHS SSS and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) was delivered to consenting patients aged ≥18 years in a regional NHS ambulance service in England.

Results: Of 140 patients (56% female, mean age 54.9 (14.6) years), 103 (74%) were conveyed, and 41 (29%) admitted to hospital. Outcomes included 28-day quit achieved (n = 31), current supported quit attempt (n = 6), reconsidered decision to quit/lost to follow-up after commencing NRT (n = 76), and uncontactable (n = 27). There was no association between a successful quit attempt and patient age, gender, ethnicity, or socio-economic status. Reasons behind being lost to follow-up included reconsidering the quit attempt, competing co-morbidity, and digital poverty.

Conclusion: A BI delivered in the ambulance setting may be the only opportunity to connect tobacco smokers currently not reached by the current model, with NHS SSS. A repeated offer of support with 'all' smokers in this setting may help reduce disparities in health inequality.

Despite the legislation implemented in the UK in 1998 on paracetamol pack restriction, overdoses remain high. In this work, data on Accident and Emergency (A&E) (2020-2023) attendances for paracetamol overdoses collected via Freedom of Information requests have been investigated. Additionally, hospital admissions (2010-2021) for paracetamol overdoses obtained from Public Health Scotland have been preliminary analyzed to understand the phenomenon within the Scottish community. Data on A&E attendances provided were limited and showed discrepancies amongst the different Scottish Health Boards for type, quality and amount of data recorded, thus preventing accurate figures. Overall, average number of absolute hospital admission was ⁓5800 per year, with the highest numbers in 2013, 2019, and 2021. When admissions were population-adjusted (with population data from National Records of Scotland), they revealed a different trend. From 2017 onward, smaller Health Boards exhibited higher rates than the larger ones. There is an urgent need for streamlined publicly accessible data and harmonized data collection across Health Boards. This approach would ultimately lead to the development of tailored, new interventions (or the adaptation of existing ones) to promote safe use of paracetamol.