Adapting information systems to ensure distributed situation awareness: a case study on regional public health in Quebec during the COVID-19 pandemic

Time of pandemic: Temporal perspectives related to compliance with public health regulations concerning the COVID-19 pandemic.

The widespread COVID-19 conspiracy theories are a problem in dealing with the pandemic, as their proponents tend not to adhere to public health regulations. The aim of this study was to analyse the relationships between religious fundamentalism, delusions, compliance with public health regulations, and religion-related conspiracy beliefs about the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants were 570 internet users aged 18–60. They responded to questions regarding sociodemographic variables, compliance with public health regulations, conspiracy beliefs concerning COVID-19, as well as the Revised Religious Fundamentalism Scale, and the Delusions Scale. The results indicated that people exhibiting more conspiracy beliefs were less likely to comply with public health regulations concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and showed more religious fundamentalism. Additionally, there was an indirect effect of religious fundamentalism on conspiracy beliefs through delusions. The results suggest that when formulating epidemiological messages, it is worth paying attention to the importance of rational thinking.

Introduction: The significant decline in cancer incidence and mortality over the last two decades in the United States is likely the result of reductions in tobacco use, increased uptake of preventive methods, adoption of early screening methods and improved treatment options. Texas, due to its large size and significant rural and heterogeneous populations, continues to experience disparities in cancer incidence and access to care and clinical trials. This study aimed to: 1) assess cancer incidence in Texas for three target indications compared to national data, and 2) analyze potential disparities in access to care with respect to the locations of American College of Surgeons Accredited (ACoS) Cancer Centers and National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Centers within Texas' 11 Public Health Regions (PHR). Methods: We used data from the Texas Cancer Registry and compared age-adjusted incidence for our three target indications (adult colon cancer in patients under 50 years of age, advanced cervical cancer, and advanced liver cancer) in the 11 PHR and the defined Border Region of Texas with national data from the US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER). We used GIS mapping to locate the cancer centers in Texas' PHR. Results: Initial results indicate that all 11 Texas' PHR ranked higher than national averages for age-adjusted incidence of cervical and liver cancer. Further, incidence rates for adolescents and young adult colorectal cancer are above SEER average in the majority of the PHR located in the northern and eastern regions of the state. When compared with Texas incidence rates, PHR 1 (Lubbock) and PHR 11 (Harlingen) have higher incidence rates for all three indications. Two PHR in the Border region (PHR 10: El Paso and 11: Harlingen) have Texas' highest incidence of liver cancer. The distribution of ACoS centers appears concentrated in eastern Texas, with highest numbers in PHR 3 (Dallas area) and PHR 6 (Houston area); with three of the four NCI-designated cancer centers in Texas are located in these two regions. Lower rates of cancer incidence for all three cancer indications were found in PHR regions 3 and 6. Among the Border counties, Cameron, Maverick and Star counties ranked above the Texas' average for all three cancer indications. There is an apparent paucity of cancer centers in the Border Region with only three centers identified in the 32 counties within the region. Conclusion: Texas statewide ranked above SEER's averages in two of the three cancer indications-cervical and liver cancers. There are clear regional differences in incidence of cervical, liver, and colorectal cancer which suggest disparities in access to care. Future research will draw on these findings to assess distance to cancer centers and clinical trial locations for Texas patients in our three targeted cancers and determine if broadband coverage is associated with disparities in cancer rates. Citation Format: Yeka W. Nmadu, Deborah V. Dahlke, Scott A. Horel, Marcia G. Ory, Kenneth S. Ramos. Using GIS mapping to explore factors in Texas' disparities in access to cancer care [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: 14th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2021 Oct 6-8. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-174.

Current trends suggest a movement towards driving forward a global health research agenda in Canada in order to redress global health research inequalities. In this paper, we explore how to promote the participation of students and new researchers in global health in Quebec. To accomplish this, we undertook a study in order to: 1) document the state of teaching and research activities in global health in Quebec and 2) obtain the point of view of various actors on conducting global health research in the Quebec context. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through specialized grids and a documentation review (5 major universities), surveys (n=25), individual interviews (n=9), and two convened workshops (n=79). We identified 27 courses with global health content, 36 researchers in Quebec working primarily on global health issues, and 76 global health research projects implemented over the past 5 years. A number of threats and opportunities were reported with regards to engaging in global health research activities, as were a number of strengths and weaknesses with respect to the teaching and research environments in Quebec. There appears to be a relatively strong and growing presence of global health in Quebec universities--although the situation varies across institutions--with room for expansion. This trend is partly attributed to an increase in federal funding for and a growing awareness and profile of global health research activities since 2001 and to a growing expertise in global health research in the province. Students and new researchers, however, continue to face multiple challenges requiring special attention and targeted investment. We conclude with a set of recommendations for key stakeholders.

Geographies of COVID‐19

Home delivery of legal intoxicants in the age of COVID-19.

BackgroundThe available evidence suggests that women were more likely to wear face masks as a precaution during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, few studies have explicated this gender disparity in wearing face masks. This study investigates associations of demographic factors with wearing face masks in Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic, then explicates gender disparity in wearing face masks from the lens of the Protection Motivation Theory.MethodsThe first part of this study employed a structured online survey of 708 Malaysian adult participants. Data collected were quantitatively analyzed by means of descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple linear regression. The second part of this study was conducted among 28 women to better understand gender disparity in protection motivations from the perspectives of women.ResultsGender has the strongest positive association with wearing face masks (p-value < .001), followed by age (p-value = .028). The Protection Motivation Theory adequately explicated the gender disparity in wearing face masks. Additionally, women were motivated to wear face masks beyond protection from the SARS-CoV-2.ConclusionUnderstanding the underlying motivations for wearing face masks informs design of gender-based public health messages to increase compliance with public health regulations and reduce morbidity and mortality for present and future public health crises.

This paper summarises the status of public health in Quebec at the dawn of the 21st century. After introducing the current definition, the author lays out five basic functions of public health in Quebec: knowledge and surveillance of populations health and wellbeing, health protection; prevention of disease, trauma and social problems that influence health; health and wellbeing promotion; and service organization and evaluation. The organization of public health services is then described at the local level (CLSC), regional level (Public health units) and national level (Ministry, Public health directorate and National Institute of Public Health). Finally, the trends and priorities elaborated over the last ten years, as well as the National Public Health Program to be implemented over the next ten years are described.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exerted a profound influence on the global landscape, jeopardizing public health and transforming the daily lives of countless individuals. Navigating the complexities of public health communication during this crisis has emerged as a paramount challenge for both governmental institutions and media entities. In response to this quandary, we executed an extensive analysis of 929 official Chinese reports pertaining to COVID-19 on social media platforms, spanning from 7 November 2022, to 7 January 2023. Utilizing the sophisticated methodology of Analysis of Topic Model Networks (ANTMN), we discerned three overarching frameworks (Social Health Resources, Official Public Health Actions, and Dissemination of Health Knowledge) and nine salient themes (Medical Infrastructure, Collective Public Health Initiatives, Epidemiological Trajectories, Governmental Health Interventions, Temporary Recesses, Public Health Regulations, Community-Based Public Health, Medical Supply Distribution, and Health Information Dissemination). Moreover, by juxtaposing media coverage before and after the Chinese government’s adjustment in epidemic policy, we unveiled substantial disparities in the framing and thematic foci among various tiers and genres of media outlets. Our findings illuminate the intricate nature of public health reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic and underscore the necessity for a judicious appraisal of diverse factors.

On 25 April 2014, the municipal water source in Flint, Michigan, was switched to the Flint River. Failure to properly treat the water for corrosion resulted in lead contamination of the water system. Resident concerns were dismissed by local, state, and federal government agencies until community participatory and clinical pediatric research demonstrated the contamination, and the water was restored to the original source 18 months later. Recovery efforts established a public health registry, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A grant of public health authority and registry funding were awarded to Michigan State University in August 2017 to establish a health surveillance system and public health intervention to refer exposed individuals to community services. Community feedback requested tiered data-sharing consent options. Participants who consented to join the registry were presented with four consent questions: to be contacted about future research opportunities, to use survey data to make referrals to services on their behalf, to share with the registry their State of Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) program data, and to share Michigan Medicaid administrative data. This descriptive study found that most participants consented to being contacted for future research (88%), sharing data for referrals (84%), and sharing data from MDHHS programs (77%) with the registry. Among participants with Medicaid insurance, 74% consented to sharing Medicaid data. Consent increased with age and decreased with income and education. Consent was higher among participants reporting food insecurity in the last 12 months. Consent to share data was unexpectedly high in the context of environmental disaster, trauma, and government distrust. Further work is needed to explore whether participation in public health activities is positively impacted by the implementation of a tiered consent process to share data.

European Commission and Patients Associations identify Registries as strategic instruments to improve knowledge in the field of Rare Diseases [1,2]. Interoperability between Rare Diseases Patient Registries (RDPR) is especially needed to support research activities, to validate therapeutic treatments and to plan public health actions. Because of the extreme variety of RDPR, a uniform and standardized way of collecting data and the identification of specific levels of connection between RDPR with similar aims is needed. In this study, exploratory data analyses were applied to the EPIRARE (European Platform for Rare Diseases Registries) Registry Survey in order to generate a macro-classification and characterization of RDPR and to deepen different informative needs. At first, a Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) suggested associations between selected variables characterizing the structure of RDPR (Figure ​(Figure1).1). Then, a Cluster analysis (CA) was developed using the declared “Aims” of each RDPR. CA confirmed the variable associations emerged by MCA and identified three groups defined as: Public Health (PHR), Clinical-Genetic Research (CGRR), and Treatment Registries (TR). Finally, the random forest (RF) method was applied to the Survey data, leading to six classification models endowed of good predictive power and thus confirming the reliability of considering three groups of RDPR. RF also identified several informative variables which allowed the characterization of the three categories of RDPR, defined by data of different nature and by different levels of diffusion (Table ​(Table11). Figure 1 Factorial plan by MCA. Table 1 Main characteristics of Clinical-Genetic Research, Treatment, and Public Health Registries according to the most informative variables emerged after the random forest method. Variables reported in the table characterize most of the registries of each ... These results, identifying different profiles of RDPR and specific informative needs, represent an informative support aimed at addressing the activities for the design of an European platform of Rare Diseases. Identification of informative cores could address the activities of a platform able to enhance the sharing of information between RDPR with common aims, but also to facilitate a coherent dialogue between RDPR with different profiles. Guide to interpretation: the arrows indicate the directions of association among the aims; the dimension of the circles represents the frequency of the variable. The higher are the coordinate and the frequency of the variable, the more it contributes to the interpretation of the factorial axis; variables placed on the same direction are correlated.

New-type urbanization (NTU) in China not only effectively promotes socio-economic transformation but also serves as a significant driving force for the coordinated development of regional social and environmental demands. Using data from China spanning 2007-2018, this study examines the effects and mechanisms of NTU on regional public health (RPH) by constructing panel fixed-effects, threshold-effects, moderated-effects, and spatial spillover models. The findings are as follows: ① NTU plays a significant role in promoting RPH. Threshold analysis reveals distinct threshold effects for employment density and industrial structure sophistication. ② Socio-economic agglomeration plays an important moderating role in the relationship between NTU and RPH. Specifically, there is a significant substitution effect between economic agglomeration and NTU in affecting RPH, while population agglomeration improves NTU's positive effect. ③ Across the eastern, central, and western regions, NTU has a positive impact on RPH, with the strength of influence increasing progressively. However, in economically developed regions, the effect is non-significant. ④ NTU shows significant spatial spillover effects on RPH, with indirect effects exceeding direct effects. The main factor influencing NTU's inhibitory effect on RPH is whether regions are adjacent.

IntroductionThere is an increase in the population of older adults, 65 years or older in South Carolina. Socio economic and environmental factors are linked to the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias (ADRD). The aim of this study was therefore, to characterize the incidence of ADRD by public health regions (PHR).MethodsWe estimated the incidence of ADRD for 2021using data from South Carolina Alzheimer’s Disease Registry (SCADR) and the Annual County Resident Population Estimates (ACRPE). The incidence of new cases per 100, 0000 population for each county, and PHR, and age-adjusted ADRD specific diagnosis were estimated. Poisson regression modeling was used to compare crude and ADRD specific incidence by PHRs. The incidence of ADRD by counties and PHRs was visualized using TIGERline files.ResultsA total of 18,955 registrants from the SCADR were included in this study. About 38% of the participants were between 75 and 84 years. Additionally, about 79% of the registrants had Alzheimer’s (AD) diagnosis. The crude incidence of ADRD was higher in the Pee Dee PHR (896 per 100,000). Among ADRD specific diagnosis, AD incidence was higher in the Pee Dee PHR (727 per 100,000), Vascular dementia (VaD) and Mixed dementia incidences were higher in the Upstate PHR. The crude incidence of ADRD differed significantly across all the PHRs (p < 0.05).DiscussionRegional differences in the incidence of ADRD suggest possible disparities in healthcare access, socioeconomic conditions and geographical factors. Targeted interventions, and early screening among young populations should be prioritized.

Background:The mental health of postpartum women has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the experiences that underlie this remain unexplored. The purpose of this study was to examine how people in Canada who gave birth during the pandemic were affected by policies aimed at limiting interpersonal contact to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission in hospital and during the early weeks postpartum.Methods:We took a social constructionist approach and used a qualitative descriptive methodology. Sampling methods were purposive and involved a mix of convenience and snowball sampling via social media and email. Study inclusion was extended to anyone aged 18 years or more who was located in Canada and was pregnant or had given birth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were obtained via semistructured qualitative telephone interviews conducted between June 2020 and January 2021, and were analyzed through thematic analysis.Results:Sixty-five interviews were conducted; data from 57 women who had already delivered were included in our analysis. We identified the following 4 themes: negative postpartum experience in hospital owing to the absence of a support person(s); poor postpartum mental health, especially in women with preexisting mental health conditions and those who had had medically complicated deliveries; asking for help despite public health regulations that prohibited doing so; and problems with breastfeeding owing to limited in-person follow-up care and lack of in-person breastfeeding support.Interpretation:Policies that restrict the presence of support persons in hospital and at home during the postpartum period appear to be causing harm. Measures to mitigate the consequences of these policies could include encouraging pregnant people to plan for additional postpartum support, allowing a support person to remain for the entire hospital stay and offering additional breastfeeding support.

The World Health Organization has published a guide for manufacturers on continuing production during the coronavirus pandemic that should be considered in the regulation of public health and social measures within the scope of COVID-19. Requirements intended by other government agencies or regulatory agencies should be included in the hygiene control applications. This will facilitate both food safety and control of pandemic measures and administrative sanctions. As far as seen that food business has not yet adopted completely the new control measures involving COVID19 requirements. It is thought that there is an urgent need for management of safety manufacture conditions taking into account pandemic rules and also official controls of the food manufacturers should be evaluated both food safety and COVID-19 pandemic conditions. Provided that all legislative conditions regarding food safety are valid, additional measures to be taken in Bakery Manufacturing against COVID-19 will be specified in this review. This study is a guide that will contribute to the bakery business operators by revealing which conditions should be included in the Prerequisite Program which was set out general measures and procedures by governments to ensure safe food production chains during the COVID-19 pandemic.