Basis For Public Health Interventions Research Articles

Association Between Diet, Physical Activity, Smoking, and Ultra-Processed Food and Cardiovascular Health, Depression, and Sleep Quality.

This study evaluated cardiovascular health, dietary habits, physical activity, depression, and sleep quality in young university adults. A cross-sectional design was used to assess anthropometric, biochemical, and cardiovascular health behaviors. The study included 158 university students aged 18 to 30 years (65% women, 35% men, average age: 20.3 ± 2.4 years), selected through non-probabilistic sampling. Measurements included BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, glucose, triglycerides, HDL and LDL cholesterol, and visceral fat using bioelectrical impedance. Health behaviors were evaluated via questionnaires on physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, smoking, ultra-processed food consumption, and sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The cardiovascular health index was assessed with the "Life's Essential 8" questionnaire and depression was assessed with Beck Depression Inventory. Statistical analyses included ANOVA, Fisher's F test, Student's t-test, and simple linear regression, conducted using SPSS Statistics version 25.0 (IBM Corp. Released 2017. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 25.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp), with significance set at p<0.05. Women showed better adherence to healthy behaviors. Higher fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity were associated with lower visceral fat. Higher visceral fat is correlated with increased blood pressure and decreased HDL cholesterol. Smoking and frequent ultra-processed food consumption were linked to higher depression scores, which were associated with poorer sleep quality. Healthy lifestyle habits are crucial for physical and mental health, providing a basis for public health interventions.

Female genital mutilation: trends, economic burden of delay and basis for public health interventions.

The practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) is a health and social problem. Millions of girls and women have undergone FGM or will soon, and more information is needed to effectively reduce the practice. The aim of this research is to provide an overview of the FGM trendlines, the inequality of its prevalence, and the economic burden. The findings shed light on 30-year trends and the impact of the pandemic on planned efforts to reduce FGM which helps with public health interventions. Temporal trend analysis, and graphical analysis were used to assess the change and inequality over the last 30 years. We included 27 countries in which FGM is prevalent. We calculated the extra economic burden of delayed interventions to reduce FGM like COVID-19. For the 27 countries analyzed for temporal trendlines, 13 countries showed no change over time while 14 had decreasing trends. Among the 14, nine countries, Uganda, Togo, Ghana, Benin, Kenya, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Chad, and Ethiopia had high year-decrease (CAGR - 1.01 and - 10.26) while five, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Gambia, Djibouti, and Mali had low year-decrease (CAGR>-1 and < 0). Among these five are the highest FGM prevalence similar distribution regardless the wealth quintiles or residence. There is an economic burden of delay or non-decline of FGM that could be averted. Findings indicate that some countries show a declining trend over time while others not. It can be observed that there is heterogeneity and homogeneity in the FGM prevalence within and between countries which may indicate inequality that deserves further investigation. There is considerable economic burden due to delays in the implementation of interventions to reduce or eliminate FGM. These insights can help in the preparation of public health interventions.

Determinasi Faktor Lingkungan Mikro Terhadap Sebaran Kasus Tuberkulosis Paru di Kota Dumai: Studi cross-sectional

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the second leading cause of death worldwide, after COVID-19. This study investigated the prevalence and microenvironmental determinants of pulmonary TB in Dumai City, focusing on the urban areas. Using a cross-sectional approach in three areas with high, medium, and low rates of pulmonary TB, this study identified the ventilation, lighting, humidity, floor and wall material type, and occupancy density variables that influence pulmonary TB transmission. The results showed that inadequate microenvironmental conditions significantly contributed to the spread of pulmonary TB. Effective management of these microenvironmental risk factors is essential as a basis for public health interventions to reduce the TB prevalence in Dumai City.

Determination of Water-Soluble Trace Elements in the PM10 and PM2.5 of Palermo Town (Italy)

This study contributes to the current knowledge on the solubility of trace elements in the atmospheric particulate matter of the urban area of Palermo. Daily sample filters of PM10 and PM2.5 were collected in monitoring stations within and outside the urban area, characterized by variable traffic density. The bulk of compositions in PM10 and PM2.5 were determined by ICP-MS. The water-soluble trace elements (WSTE) and major ion components of particulate matter were determined by ICP-MS and ion chromatography, respectively. A significant difference in the metals content was observed between the samples taken in urban areas and those from suburban areas. The calculated enrichment factor highlights the high values for Cu, Mo, Sb, V, and Zn, confirming the contribution of human activities. The leaching test was applied to PM10 and PM2.5 filters and showed different behaviors and transport of metals and metalloids. The calculated leaching coefficient highlights the metals typically produced by anthropic activities, compared to those of geogenic origin, are much more soluble in water and have greater mobility. The factor analysis was used to identify the sources of water-soluble ions. The main sources are anthropic, geogenic, and sea spray. The final objective of this study is to obtain, with the aid of leaching experiments on PM2.5 and PM10 filter samples, information about the bioavailability and mobility of the different metals and metalloids that could be used as the scientific basis for public health intervention and to raise the prevention and control of heavy metal pollution in the urban environment, especially in densely populated areas.

Potentially Toxic Element Levels in Atmospheric Particulates and Health Risk Estimation around Industrial Areas of Maros, Indonesia

Air quality deterioration is a major environmental problem in Indonesia. This study evaluated the levels and health risks of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in Maros Regency, Indonesia. Total suspended particulate matter was collected from industrial areas for PTE (Al, Pb, Cr, Cu, Ni, As and Zn) analysis using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Samples were collected from six critical areas in the Bantimurung region as that is where marble, cement and limestone industries are located. A calculation of the non-carcinogenic and cancer risks was performed to determine the potential health exposures in adults and children. A Monte Carlo simulation with 10,000 iterations and a sensitivity analysis was carried out to identify the risk probability and the most sensitive variable contributing to cancer risk from PTE exposure in humans. The results showed that the concentration of PTEs decreased in the order of Zn > Al > Cr > Pb > Cu > Ni > As in the wet season, and Zn > Al > Pb > As > Cr > Cu > Ni in the dry season. The hazard index (HI) value for children was 2.12, indicating a high non-carcinogenic risk for children. The total cancer risk (TCR) values in adults and children were 3.11 × 10−5 and 1.32 × 10−4, respectively, implying that both are at risk for developing cancer. The variables with the most contribution to cancer risk from As, Cr and Pb exposure in adults and children were As concentration (33.9% and 41.0%); exposure duration (ED) (34.3%) and SA (40.7%); and SA (98.7 % and 45.4%), respectively. These findings could be used as the scientific basis for public health intervention and to raise awareness of the harmful health effects of particulate bound PTEs

Dietary Patterns and Their Sociodemographic and Lifestyle Determinants in Switzerland: Results from the National Nutrition Survey menuCH.

From a public health perspective, determinants of diets are crucial to identify, but they remain unclear in Switzerland. Hence, we sought to define current dietary patterns and their sociodemographic and lifestyle determinants using the national nutrition survey menuCH (2014–2015, n = 2057). First, we applied multiple factorial analysis and hierarchical clustering on the energy-standardised daily consumption of 17 food categories. Four dietary patterns were identified (“Swiss traditional”: high intakes of dairy products and chocolate, n = 744; “Western 1”: soft drinks and meat, n = 383; “Western 2”: alcohol, meat and starchy, n = 444; and “Prudent”: n = 486). Second, we used multinomial logistic regression to examine the determinants of the four dietary patterns: ten sociodemographic or lifestyle factors (sex, age, body mass index, language region, nationality, marital status, income, physical activity, smoking status, and being on a weight-loss diet) were significantly associated with the dietary patterns. Notably, belonging to the French- and Italian-speaking regions of Switzerland increased the odds of following a “Prudent” diet (Odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.92 [1.45–2.53] and 1.68 [0.98–2.90], respectively) compared to the German-speaking regions. Our findings highlight the influence of sociodemographic and lifestyle parameters on diet and the particularities of the language regions of Switzerland. These results provide the basis for public health interventions targeted for population subgroups.

Mortality in people with intellectual disabilities in England.

People with intellectual disabilities (IDs) die at younger ages than the general population, but nationally representative and internationally comparable mortality data about people with ID, quantifying the extent and pattern of the excess, have not previously been reported for England. We used data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink database for April 2010 to March 2014 (CPRD GOLD September 2015). This source covered several hundred participating general practices comprising roughly 5% of the population of England in the period studied. General practitioner (GP) records identified people diagnosed by their GP as having ID. Linked national death certification data allowed us to derive corresponding mortality data for people with and without ID, overall and by cause. Mortality rates for people with ID were significantly higher than for those without. Their all-cause standardised mortality ratio was 3.18. Their life expectancy at birth was 19.7 years lower than for people without ID. Circulatory and respiratory diseases and neoplasms were the three most common causes of death for them. Cerebrovascular disease, thrombophlebitis and pulmonary embolism all had standardised mortality ratios greater than 3 in people with ID. This has not been described before. Other potentially avoidable causes included epilepsy (3.9% of deaths), aspiration pneumonitis (3.6%) and colorectal cancer (2.4%). Avoidable mortality analysis showed a higher proportion of deaths from causes classified as amenable to good medical care but a lower proportion from preventable causes compared with people without ID. International comparison to areas for which data have been published in sufficient detail for calculation of directly standardised rates suggest England may have higher death rates for people with ID than areas in Canada and Finland, and lower death rates than Ireland or the State of Massachusetts in the USA. National data about mortality in people with ID provides a basis for public health interventions. Linked data using GP records to identify people with ID could provide comprehensive population-based monitoring in England, unbiased by the circumstances of illnesses or death; to date information governance constraints have prevented this. However, GPs in England currently identify only around 0.5% of the population as having ID, suggesting that individuals with mild, non-syndromic ID are largely missed. Notably common causes of death suggest control of cardiovascular risk factors, epilepsy and dysphagia, management of thrombotic risks and colorectal screening are important areas for health promotion initiatives.

Antropometria nutricional de adolescentes de uma região brasileira de baixo desenvolvimento econômico: comparação com referência OMS-2007.

The identification of nutritional inadequacies in specific segments of the youth population can provide the basis for public health intervention. The objective of this study was to evaluate anthropometric indicators of nutritional status in a sample of adolescent schoolchildren from a region of low economic development in Brazil. The sample consisted of 1,538 subjects ranging in age from 15 to 18 years, including 1,036 girls and 502 boys. Nutritional status was assessed based on height and body mass index (BMI) and comparisons were made to the corresponding percentile distributions of the Word Health Organizations-2007 (WHO-2007) reference. The percentile distributions for height and BMI in the two genders differed significantly from the WHO-2007 reference. There was a high proportion of adolescents with short height (&lt; 10th percentile) and indication of overweight/obesity (&gt; 90th percentile). Therefore, although being a region of low economic growth and with one of the lowest social indicators in the country, excess body weight was an important problem associated with nutritional status. The high proportion of overweight/obesity highlights the need to implement public policies designed to promote healthy eating habits and physical activity

Perceived challenges to public health in Central and Eastern Europe: a qualitative analysis

BackgroundThere is a major gradient in burden of disease between Central and Eastern Europe compared to Western Europe. Many of the underlying causes and risk factors are amenable to public health interventions. The purpose of the study was to explore perceptions of public health experts from Central and Eastern European countries on public health challenges in their countries.MethodsWe invited 179 public health experts from Central and Eastern European countries to a 2-day workshop in Berlin, Germany. A total of 25 public health experts from 14 countries participated in May 2008. The workshop was structured into 8 sessions of 1.5 hours each, with the topic areas covering coronary heart disease, stroke, prevention, obesity, alcohol, tobacco, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. The workshop was recorded and the proceedings transcribed verbatim. The transcripts were entered into atlas.ti for content analysis and coded according to the session headings. After analysis of the content of each session discussion, a re-coding of the discussions took place based on the themes that emerged from the analysis.ResultsThemes discussed recurred across disease entities and sessions. Major themes were the relationship between clinical medicine and public health, the need for public health funding, and the problems of proving the effectiveness of disease prevention. Areas for action identified included the need to engage with the public, to create a better scientific basis for public health interventions, to identify “best practices” of disease prevention, and to implement registries/surveillance instruments. The need for improved data collection was seen throughout all areas discussed, as was the need to harmonize data across countries.ConclusionsTo reduce the burden of disease across Europe, closer collaboration of countries across Europe seems important in order to learn from each other. A more credible scientific basis for effective public health interventions is urgently needed. The monitoring of health trends is crucial to evaluate the impact of public health programmes.

Without magic bullets: the biological basis for public health interventions against protein folding disorders

Protein folding disorders of aging like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases currently present intractable medical challenges. 'Small molecule' interventions - drug treatments - often have, at best, palliative impact, failing to alter disease course. The design of individual or population level interventions will likely require a deeper understanding of protein folding and its regulation than currently provided by contemporary 'physics' or culture-bound medical magic bullet models. Here, a topological rate distortion analysis is applied to the problem of protein folding and regulation that is similar in spirit to Tlusty's (2010a) elegant exploration of the genetic code. The formalism produces large-scale, quasi-equilibrium 'resilience' states representing normal and pathological protein folding regulation under a cellular-level cognitive paradigm similar to that proposed by Atlan and Cohen (1998) for the immune system. Generalization to long times produces diffusion models of protein folding disorders in which epigenetic or life history factors determine the rate of onset of regulatory failure, in essence, a premature aging driven by familiar synergisms between disjunctions of resource allocation and need in the context of socially or physiologically toxic exposures and chronic powerlessness at individual and group scales. Application of an HPA axis model is made to recent observed differences in Alzheimer's onset rates in White and African American subpopulations as a function of an index of distress-proneness.

Without magic bullets: the biological basis for public health interventions against protein folding disorders

AbstractProtein folding disorders of aging like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases currently present intractable medical challenges. 'Small molecule' interventions - drug treatments - often have, at best, palliative impact, failing to alter disease course. The design of individual or population level interventions will likely require a deeper understanding of protein folding and its regulation than currently provided by contemporary 'physics' or culture-bound medical magic bullet models. Here, a topological rate distortion analysis is applied to the problem of protein folding and regulation that is similar in spirit to Tlusty's (2010a) elegant exploration of the genetic code. The formalism produces large-scale, quasi-equilibrium 'resilience' states representing normal and pathological protein folding regulation under a cellular-level cognitive paradigm similar to that proposed by Atlan and Cohen (1998) for the immune system. Generalization to long times produces diffusion models of protein folding disorders in which epigenetic or life history factors determine the rate of onset of regulatory failure, in essence, a premature aging driven by familiar synergisms between disjunctions of resource allocation and need in the context of socially or physiologically toxic exposures and chronic powerlessness at individual and group scales. Application of an HPA axis model is made to recent observed differences in Alzheimer's onset rates in White and African American subpopulations as a function of an index of distress-proneness.

Without magic bullets: the biological basis for public health interventions against protein folding disorders

AbstractProtein folding disorders of aging like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases currently present intractable medical challenges. 'Small molecule' interventions - drug treatments - often have, at best, palliative impact, failing to alter disease course. The design of individual or population level interventions will likely require a deeper understanding of protein folding and its regulation than currently provided by contemporary 'physics' or culture-bound medical magic bullet models. Here, a topological rate distortion analysis is applied to the problem of protein folding and regulation that is similar in spirit to Tlusty's (2010a) elegant exploration of the genetic code. The formalism produces large-scale, quasi-equilibrium 'resilience' states representing normal and pathological protein folding regulation under a cellular-level cognitive paradigm similar to that proposed by Atlan and Cohen (1998) for the immune system. Generalization to long times produces diffusion models of protein folding disorders in which epigenetic or life history factors determine the rate of onset of regulatory failure, in essence, a premature aging driven by familiar synergisms between disjunctions of resource allocation and need in the context of socially or physiologically toxic exposures and chronic powerlessness at individual and group scales.

Risk assessment and perception

Injury prevention efforts often focus on reducing the risk of potentially dangerous activities, facilities or equipment, such as diving, swimming pools or flotation devices. This paper aims to clarify the concepts of risk assessment and risk perception. Statistically, risk denotes the probability of an untoward event, often expressed in terms of potential financial loss. Subjectively, though, risk denotes an individual’s perception of the likelihood and the seriousness of an undesirable event. Individual perception appears to be strongly influenced by personal traits and socio-cultural parameters. Risk assessment helps to form the basis for public health interventions. The implementation and effectiveness of these are influenced by individual risk perception. Therefore, preventive efforts need to incorporate and hopefully influence the determinants of risk perception among the target populations. Considering drowning, both hazard and incidence of submersion injuries are underestimated, whereas treatment options are usually overestimated. Consequently, individual risk alertness needs to be improved – drowning remains a ubiquitous risk.