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

Background: Community nursery nurses (CNNs) play a vital role in UK health visiting teams, promoting child development and school readiness. The Infant to School (I2S) programme, delivered by CNNs under health visitor supervision, provides structured early intervention for families facing adversity.

Aim: To formatively evaluate the I2S programme from the perspective of CNNs, focusing on short-term outcomes, reported effects on children and families, and impacts on CNNs.

Methods: Seventeen of twenty CNNs (85%) completed an anonymised questionnaire. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively, and qualitative responses were analysed thematically.

Findings: Between September 2023 and February 2025, 212 families participated in the I2S programme, with language development as the main concern. CNNs reported that I2S enhanced their confidence, skills, and job satisfaction, enabling more structured, culturally sensitive, and relationship-based support. All respondents reported helping families to set and achieve short-term goals and connect with community services; 88% reported building strong relationships. Key themes included improved professional competence, greater ability to support families, and identified areas for further training and resource development.

Conclusion: This evaluation contributes new insight into the role of CNNs in supporting school readiness through a structured, health visiting-embedded programme. Continued evaluation, incorporating parental and child outcome data, is required to assess long-term impact and scalability.

Background: The effects of adolescent digital technology use (e.g. social media, gaming) on their mental health are a major public health concern, but existing evidence is of mixed quality and findings have been inconclusive.

Methods: Separating within-person effects from between-person effects, a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model was applied to three annual waves of data (T1, T2, T3) on social media use, gaming, and internalizing symptoms among N = 25 629 adolescents (51% girls, average age 12 years, 7 months (SD = 3.58 months) at baseline) in Greater Manchester, England.

Results: Longitudinal relationships varied by gender, such that more frequent gaming at T2 predicted less time spent on social media use at T3 in girls (but not boys), and more frequent internalizing symptoms at T2 predicted reductions in gaming frequency at T3 in boys (but not girls). There was no evidence that time spent on social media or gaming frequency predicted later internalizing symptoms among girls or boys. Sensitivity analyses that distinguished active versus passive social media use replicated these findings.

Conclusions: The findings of this study do not support the widely held view that adolescent technology use is a major causal factor in their mental health difficulties.

Background: There is growing attention on research and intervention prioritization regarding the social determinants of health to address health inequalities. Community involvement in this prioritization is centrally important. This scoping review aimed to identify: (i) examples of priority setting regarding the social determinants of health and (ii) methods for involving local communities in research or intervention prioritization.

Methods: Searches were conducted in Medline, Social Policy & Practice, Applied Social Sciences Index & Abstracts, CINAHL, and Carrot2 in May 2024. Eligible studies reported prioritization with communities for interventions or research about the social determinants of health. Studies reported primary research in high-income countries. A narrative synthesis was undertaken, with a review team involving different professionals and public contributors.

Results: Eighteen studies were included. Community prioritization methods varied, though commonly included participatory approaches, with additional reports of Delphi exercises, a super-setting approach, a nominal group technique, a deliberative exercise using a serious game, and a modified James Lind Alliance process.

Conclusions: Meaningful community involvement in research and intervention prioritization offers critical opportunities to reduce existing health inequalities. Participatory and coproduced approaches are valuable to research collaborations, funders, and public health organizations, which should ensure trust, accessibility, and inclusion to involve diverse and underrepresented communities.

Background: Dietary habits influence weight management and metabolic health. This study examined trends in eating window and diet composition, and their correlation with obesity among adults.

Methods: Data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) and South Korea's Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) (2007-2020) were analyzed. The study assessed eating window, diet composition, and obesity. The eating window was defined from the first energy intake after waking up to the last before bed. Diet composition was linked to respective national food databases.

Results: Both countries saw increased snack consumption and body mass index (BMI) over 14 years. Korean adults showed the lowest obesity rates with an 8-9 hour eating window, while U.S. adults had the lowest rates with an 8-11 hour window. Macronutrient analysis revealed Korean breakfasts were carbohydrate-rich, while dinners included higher protein and alcohol intake.

Conclusions: Koreans have shorter eating windows and lower BMI than U.S. adults. This suggests the potential benefits of time-restricted eating but highlights the need for personalized interventions and further research on individual, cultural, and environmental factors.

Background and objectives: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that significantly impacts individuals' quality of life and imposes a substantial social burden on patients and society. Despite its global socioeconomic implications, limited research has focused on the social burden of MS. This study aimed to assess the social burden of MS in Georgia by evaluating the health-related quality of life of MS patients and exploring the correlation between disease burden and quality of life.

Methodology: This cross-sectional study was performed to assess the social burden of the disease by evaluating the impact of the disease on the quality of life of 384 patients with MS. The Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 questionnaire was administered to assess quality of life.

Results: The Expanded Disability Status Scale score was significantly negatively correlated with the physical health composite score (r = -0.249, P < .001) and the general quality of life score (r = -0.220, P < .001). The quality of life was highly associated with gender, employment status, living/residence place, and moderately with age.

Conclusions and implications: This study revealed the intricate interplay between disability, quality of life, and sociodemographic factors among Georgian MS patients. The results of the study highlight the need for specialized therapies, networks of support, and public health initiatives to lessen the societal cost of MS.

Background: Awareness of cancer and its symptoms may have declined in 2020 following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and awareness of the 'Find Cancer Early' mass media campaign on the knowledge of common cancer symptoms in regional Western Australian (WA) residents aged 40 years and over.

Methods: Campaign materials from 'Find Cancer Early' included the 'Rural Doctors' video advertisement and the 'Yellow Checklist'. Multivariable log-binomial regression analyses were undertaken using data from the annual post-campaign evaluations surveys between 2018 and 2020, which included information on campaign awareness, cancer symptom knowledge, and sociodemographic factors.

Results: The number of cancer symptoms recalled (mean (M): 1.32 vs 1.72; P < .001) and the proportion of participants with better cancer symptom knowledge (16.9% vs 25.7%; P < .001) were lower in 2020 than the pre-pandemic time-period. Campaign awareness (prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.99; P < .001) and females (PR = 1.28; P = .002) were associated with better cancer symptom knowledge, while the pandemic time-period (PR = 0.59; P < .001), older age (PR = 0.57; P < .001), and a previous cancer diagnosis (PR = 0.76; P = .007) were associated with poorer knowledge.

Conclusions: Despite the ongoing pandemic, campaign awareness was associated with better knowledge of common cancer symptoms in regional WA. Regional subpopulations, including males and older adults, should be targeted for future campaigns.

Background: There is limited insight about the reach of alcohol marketing among adults in the United Kingdom (UK). We therefore examined awareness across a range of marketing activities and sources and how this differed by degree of alcohol use.

Method: An online cross-sectional survey with a nonprobability adult sample (18+) in the UK (n = 6021). Participants self-reported past-month awareness of alcohol marketing and special price deals from companies/brands, off-trade shops (e.g. supermarkets), online retailers, and on-trade venues (e.g. pubs/bars). Alcohol use was assessed using the AUDIT-C (coded: nondrinkers, lower-risk drinkers, higher-risk drinkers, not stated).

Results: For alcohol companies/brands, 65.9% had seen advertising (e.g. on TV) and 79.5% had seen wider marketing (e.g. sponsorship). For off-trade shops, 86.8% had seen marketing (e.g. product displays) and 76.6% had seen special price deals (e.g. multi-buy discounts). For online retailers, 30.8% had seen marketing (e.g. leaflets/flyers) and 52.4% had seen special price offers. For on-trade venues, 69.0% had seen marketing (e.g. posters/leaflets/flyers) and 52.1% had seen special price offers. The odds of reporting awareness were generally lower among nondrinkers and higher among higher-risk drinkers (vs. lower-risk).

Conclusion: Adults see alcohol marketing through various activities and sources, with awareness generally increasing with degree of alcohol use.

Background: Increasing the number of good quality jobs is a priority to reduce widening health inequalities. In England, workplace charters are becoming increasingly popular; however, there is limited knowledge on how this intervention works. This study explored employers' perspectives of workplace charters to understand the potential for charters to reduce health inequalities for employees.

Methods: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 12 employers in West Yorkshire, England between August and September 2022. Employers were purposively recruited. Interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results: Employers perceived charters to improve workplace practices by providing a benchmark; facilitating a business community; opening a dialogue with partners; and being a credible badge for fair employers. Using a social determinants of health framework, a novel logic model was developed from these mechanisms, illustrating how charters can reduce health inequalities. Key emergent barriers to charter effectiveness were also identified.

Conclusions: This study has identified that employers' perceptions of workplace charters support the view that charters can reduce health inequalities. However, emergent barriers to charter effectiveness highlighted that charters could equally generate inequalities by excluding organisations. If policy makers reconcile this tension, workplace charters could potentially be a timely and meaningful intervention to reduce health inequalities.

Background: Urbanization influences healthcare access and utilization, contributing to health disparities. This study aims to assess the effect of degree of urbanization on healthcare utilization in Portugal, where urbanization levels are above global average.

Methods: Utilizing data from the 2019 National Health Survey, this cross-sectional study analyzed the association between degree of urbanization and outcomes including general and specialist consultations, flu vaccination, colonoscopy, and wait times. Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) were estimated using Poisson regression models.

Results: Less populated areas had increased wait times (aPR = 1.54; 95% confidence intervals [95% CI]: 1.06-2.24) and lower colonoscopy utilization (aPR = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.78-0.95). Flu vaccination rates were higher in rural (aPR = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.03-1.30) and suburban areas (aPR = 1.16; 95% CI: 1.04-1.30). No significant association was found for general/specialist consultations or excessive wait times.

Conclusions: Geographic constraints limit healthcare access in less populated areas. Urban areas showed suboptimal flu vaccination rates, suggesting a need for improved immunization strategies. Addressing geographical disparities is crucial for ensuring equitable healthcare access across Portugal.

Background: Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) based on Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) have reported that higher adherence is associated with better health outcomes. Our aim was to describe the perspectives and experiences of older adults in a MedDiet RCT for cardiovascular disease prevention.

Methods: Three focus groups on 25 participants from a MedDiet RCT, aged from 63 to 76 years old, were conducted after a conference on patient and public involvement in research at the University of Granada (Spain). Each focus group, comprising 8-10 participants, was audio-recorded, transcribed, and thematically analysed.

Results: Participants were motivated by research team commitment during follow-up, improved health status and chronic disease management, weight loss, and enhanced health literacy. Health benefits among cohabitants were highlighted by female participants. A more personalized counselling and transparency with disclosure of the results of their tests and on-going study findings were missed. Participants were willing to collaborate in the dissemination of findings. Involving patients in RCTs would align the interventions with their needs and health conditions.

Conclusion: In the context of an RCT, participants could join the research team, identifying key questions, planning study design, contributing to the intervention protocol, and helping disseminate results by selecting the best platforms for sharing findings.