Collective Health Research Articles

Syphilis in pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes: Anationwide longitudinal study in Brazil.

The present study aimed to evaluate the association between syphilis in pregnancy and low birth weight, small for gestational age, and preterm birth. This longitudinal study used Brazilian National Information System for livebirths (SINASC) linked to the gestational syphilis cases from Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) from 2011 to 2017. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to compare the birth outcomes of pregnant women with and without syphilis. The study protocol was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Institute of Collective Health of the Federal University of Bahia (CAAE: registration no. 18022319.4.0000.5030). A total of 17 930 817 live births were included in the study. Of these, 155 214 (8.7/1000) were exposed to syphilis during pregnancy. Maternal syphilis increased the odds of low birth weight (aOR 1.88, 95% CI: 1.85-1.91), small for gestational age (aOR 1.53, 95% CI: 1.51-1.56), and preterm birth (aOR 1.35, 95% CI: 1.33-1.37). Higher odds were observed for pregnant women with VDRL titer ≥64 and untreated maternal syphilis when compared to mothers without syphilis. Analysis stratified by prenatal care showed higher odds for all adverse birth outcomes for mothers attending ≤6 prenatal appointments. Our findings showed a strong association between gestational syphilis and adverse birth outcomes with increased odds observed among women with higher VDRL titers, lack of treatment, and fewer prenatal appointments. These results highlight the need for adequate screening and treatment for gestational syphilis during pregnancy to mitigate the risk of adverse birth outcomes.

Communal Riots and Its Psychological Impact: A Systematic Review Study in Indian Context.

In the Indian setting, communal riots characterized by intergroup violence have been common and have had an impact on the lives of both people and communities. The goal of this systematic review is to investigate the psychological effects of Indian communal riots in depth. Through a comprehensive review of the literature, the study aims to identify recurring themes, patterns, and variances in the psychological effects encountered by victims of community violence. The researcher searched Science Direct, PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and PsycINFO for research published between the year 2000 and the year 2022 in each of these databases. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was employed to evaluate the study's quality. After identifying 1189 publications in all, 195 of them were chosen for full-text examination, and 41 research were ultimately included. Twenty studies examined depression and mental health with a prevalence rate of 49%. Five studies (12%) examined post-traumatic stress disorder. In places devastated by riots, the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder varied from 4% to 41%. Other studies investigated anxiety, alcohol abuse, and homelessness. However, two studies revealed that group activities could lower depression and suicide rates, perhaps as a result of increased social cohesiveness and group catharsis among subpopulations. The researcher investigated the connection between collective activities and mental health in this systematic review, providing strong evidence that riots, protests, and other collective actions-even peaceful ones-can harm mental health outcomes. Thus, healthcare providers must be aware of the psychological and emotional effects of riots, revolutions, and demonstrations. It is essential to do more study on this newly identified sociopolitical driver of mental health.

INCREASING COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN COLLECTIVE CLEAN AND HEALTHY LIVING PRACTICES THROUGH A COMMUNITY HEALTH CULTURE APPROACH IN OECUSSE VILLAGE, TIMOR LESTE

Clean and healthy living behavior is directly related to efforts to improve the level of public health. Therefore, it must be applied starting from households, educational institutions, workplaces, public places, to health facilities. The activity was carried out with the aim of increasing community participation in collective clean and healthy living practices through a community health culture approach in Oecusse Village, Timor Leste in September 2023. Implementation used the "individual and group counseling" method. Where, all communities are given counseling with the aim that they can individually and in groups understand, change their daily culture regarding personal and environmental hygiene and determine attitudes and actions regarding the source of their own and collective environmental health problems. The evaluation process was carried out before and after the activity to measure the abilities and changes in attitudes of 35 families with 85 participants regarding the counseling material. The pre-test results found that the majority (89.8%) of the counseling participants did not understand the importance of establishing a culture of clean and healthy living both individually and collectively in supporting efforts to improve the level of public health. However, after confirmation from the results of the outreach, it was discovered that 100% of religious leaders could understand the culture of clean and healthy living. This starts from indicators of ability to answer and choose the type of PHBS tool that must be used and knowing how to use it in the simulation stage.

Pesticide: A Contemporary Cultural Object

The article provides a narrative review of the social and cultural interpretation of pesticides in contemporary society. In so doing, it highlights the main fields of exploration investigated by social scientists concerning the perception and role played by these products among farmers and consumers. Following the WHO definition, pesticides are chemical compounds used to kill pests, including insects, rodents, fungi, and unwanted plants. They are contemporary cultural artefacts that social sciences explore in synergy with other disciplines to highlight their socio-cultural connections at both local and global levels. Specifically, the use of these products is connected with power relations, which are embedded in and reflect imbalances and inequalities in access to rights and resources, as well as specific articulation of the perception of risk arising from environmental contamination in terms of individual and collective psychophysical health. Furthermore, pesticides fit into various environmental conceptions and multiple local knowledge systems, representing the intersection of different cultural heritages, worldviews, and rationales that make the tradition–modernity dichotomy complex and dynamic. In this respect, therefore, pesticides can be understood not just as mere tools for agricultural practice but as vital windows through which to investigate multiple layers of meaning to support transitions towards sustainable pest management systems, both environmentally and socio-culturally.

Improving the detection accuracy of the dual SERS aptasensor system with uncontrollable SERS “hot spot” using machine learning tools

BackgroundSimultaneous detection of food contaminants is crucial in addressing the collective health hazards arising from the presence of multiple contaminants. However, traditional multi-competitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) aptasensors face difficulties in achieving simultaneous accurate detection of multiple target substances due to the uncontrollable SERS “hot spots”. In this study, using chloramphenicol (CAP) and estradiol (E2) as two target substances, we introduced a novel approach that combines machine learning methods with a dual SERS aptasensor, enabling simultaneous high-sensitivity and accurate detection of both target substances. ResultsThe strategy effectively minimizes the interference from characteristic Raman peaks commonly encountered in traditional multi-competitive SERS aptasensors. For this sensing system, the Au@4-MBA@Ag nanoparticles modified with sulfhydryl (SH)-CAP aptamer and Au@DTNB@Ag NPs modified with sulfhydryl (SH)-E2 aptamer were used as signal probes. Additionally, Fe3O4@Au nanoflowers integrated with SH-CAP aptamer complementary DNA and SH-E2 aptamer complementary DNA were used as capture probes, respectively. When compared to linear regression random forest, and support vector regression (SVR) models, the proposed artificial neural network (ANN) model exhibited superior precision, demonstrating R2 values of 0.963, 0.976, 0.991, and 0.970 for the training set, test set, validation set, and entire dataset, respectively. Validation with ten spectral groups reported an average error of 244 μg L−1. SignificanceThe essence of our study lies in its capacity to address a persistent challenge encountered by traditional multiple competitive SERS aptasensors – the interference generated by uncontrollable SERS “hot spots” that hinders simultaneous quantification. The accuracy of the predictive model for simultaneous detection of two target substances was significantly improved using machine learning tools. This innovative technique offers promising avenues for the accurate and high-sensitive simultaneous detection of multiple food and environmental contaminants.

Evaluation of factors associated with acceptance of adherence and toxicity levels in the treatment of tuberculosis infection and effectiveness of the treatment

Tuberculosis treatment remains a challenge due to the need to consider, when approaching it, the context of individual and collective health. In addition, social and economic issues have been shown to be variables that need to be considered when it comes to treatment effectiveness. In a small proportion of cases, the bacillus is transmitted to humans from infected cows through drinking non-sterilized milk. This mode of transmission plays only a minor role in the natural history of the disease in humans. This study explores factors influencing acceptance of adherence and toxicity levels in tuberculosis treatment, aiming to assess their impact on treatment effectiveness. Through comprehensive evaluation, aim to identify key variables contributing to patient compliance and potential barriers to successful outcomes, shedding light on optimizing tuberculosis treatment strategies.

Estrangulación/sofocación no fatal en el contexto de violencia de género: aspectos médico-legales e implicancias para la práctica clínica

Despite the numerous efforts of the international community to eradicate all forms of violence against women, this problem is far from being resolved. According to the UN, one in three women has suffered physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner, sexual violence outside the couple, or both at least once in their life. Addressing this problem as a social health need of population groups allows an approach to gender violence as a collective health problem. At the level of physical violence, strangulation/suffocation has been identified as one of the most lethal forms of domestic violence and sexual assault. Victims of domestic violence who have been choked or strangled are 7.5 times more likely to be killed by their partner. A victim of strangulation/suffocation can lose consciousness in seconds or die within minutes, days or weeks after the attack, as well as suffer permanent brain damage or disability or emotional trauma. Recently, legal changes have been generated in the configuration of this crime, the penalties have increased in United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. The current non-systematic narrative review of literature sought to explore updated medico-legal aspects of non-fatal strangulation/suffocation in the context of gender violence, and are highlightedrelevant implications for clinical practice.

Insurance business and social sustainability: A proposal

Sustainability issues are emerging as a major focus for the insurance institutions, who have to face a number of challenges of the immediate future regarding environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors, climate changes, and catastrophic events. Despite this, literature is still scarce. In this vein, our work contributes to the small but growing body of literature on sustainable finance insurances, by providing evidence of the positive role that insurance companies can play in realizing a more sustainable financial system. The study proposes an innovative securitized process, described as a financial cycle oriented to the achievement of the social objective of collective health. Sustainable instruments allow firms, insurance companies and investors to play a proactive role: virtuous companies, attentive to health protection of their employees, could benefit from premium discounts on the costs of insurance coverage for business risks. The analysis demonstrates how the securitization scheme supports projects with economic-social impact, underlining main actors’ roles, challenges, and opportunities for a sustainable future. Findings pave the way for designing new sustainable insurance solutions and have both practical and social implications.

CREATIVITY AND NEURAL CONNECTIONS IN THE ARTISTIC CREATION PROCESS

The topics addressed in this article stem from the interdisciplinary research project “Neuroscience, Creativity – Neural Connections in Artistic Creation,” initiated by the Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Art at the “George Enescu” National University of Arts in Iași. These topics have been discussed by experts in the medical and artistic fields during a conference organized in collaboration with “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Iași and the “I. I. Mironescu” Cultural Center. We aim for an interdisciplinary approach, which we consider relevant and of interest, focusing on understanding how the brain functions and the intricate neural networks engaged during the creative process, seen as the key to developing and enhancing creativity. Additionally, within the complex scope of this research theme, we will highlight several beneficial effects of art on individual and collective health. Art serves as an alternative energy source for the brain, stimulating connections between mental and physical processes.

Securitization for common health

Securitization is the process of turning a financial asset, such as a loan or a mortgage, into a security that can be bought and sold on the market. Insurance-linked securities have been developed in order to foster the risk-transfer from insurers to capital market. In the context of pandemics or health crisis, securitization has been used to raise funds for crucial healthcare infrastructure and resources. However, securitization can also play a role in lowering infectious rates of pandemics as a part of risk mitigation strategies. Securitization can be engineered at higher standards and levels involving different actors. In the current paper, we propose an operational securitization mechanism based on the previous work by Di Lorenzo and Sibillo (2020) where a bond with coupon linked to the infection rate is introduced in order to reduce the risk exposure of an insurer offering health coverage. The combination of bond and health policies is structured in such a way to foster the economic operators (insureds, insurer, investors on capital market) to reduce the pandemic risk. It follows that companies might guarantee collective health for their workers if they subscribe insurance policies. Indeed, issuing such a bond on the market is challenging, due to poor market liquidity and, then, due to difficulties in pricing. In these regards, we value the pandemic-linked bond via an approach based on an inter-temporal CRRA utility function that, in its turn, determines a certain equivalent financial bond. The comparison values the pandemic-linked bond at varying with investors’ risk-aversion and sustainable-projects desirability. This provides an estimation of the risk-transfer cost for the insurers.

Pervasiveness of health information in everyday life in Germany: insights from a photo-elicitation diary study on implicit health knowledge using the documentary method

Abstract Aim In an information society, the complexity of health discourses and media–technological developments touch upon processes of finding, understanding, appraising, and using information. Encounters with health information in everyday life are omnipresent. Hence, applying perceived health information to lifeworlds becomes challenging. We were therefore particularly interested in understanding appraisals and practices regarding random encounters with health information. Subject and methods A photo-elicitation diary study was designed and conducted to collect data from encounters with health information in everyday life. Drawing on a sociology of knowledge approach and using the documentary method, appraisal patterns of health information were reconstructed. Results Four appraisal patterns were reconstructed: control, optimization, responsibility, and confidence. Conclusion The findings contribute to a critical reflection on the pervasiveness of health information in lifeworlds, also referred to as infodemic. The identified appraisal patterns and orientation frames offer insights into the impact of random encounters with health information in everyday life; they also provide a foundation for critically discussing quality criteria for health information in a diverse society, and can inform initiatives for strengthening individual and collective health literacy.

The role of burnout and coping in the quality of life among disaster emergency volunteers during the Cianjur earthquake

Volunteering in emergencies has a fundamental role in improving and maintaining collective and community health. However, volunteers often have to deal with very stressful situations and conditions, leading them to burnout and coping strategy issues that possibly decrease their quality of life. AimsThis study investigated the correlation between burnout, coping, and quality of life among emergency disaster volunteers who responded to the earthquake in Cianjur, West Java, from November 21, 2022 to December 20, 2022. MethodsData were collected by using an online questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic questions, The Relief Worker Burnout Questionnaire, The Brief COPE, and WHOQOL-Bref. 110 emergency disaster volunteers responded to the survey, and data were danalysed by using multiple linear regression. ResultsThere were effects of burnout on quality of life, coping on quality of life, and burnout and coping together on the quality of life in disaster emergency response volunteers. There were significant differences in burnout scores of disaster emergency response volunteers according to gender, marital status, training experience, working cluster and years of service, while significant differences in the type of coping scores could be seen between gender, marital status, training experience, and working duration. The quality of life scores significantly differed regarding ethnic groups, marital status, training experience, and working duration ConclusionsBurnout and coping have effects on quality of life. Several demographic conditions showed significant differences in burnout, coping, and quality of life scores.

Health systems in the COVID‐19 crises: Comparative patterns of NHS satisfaction and preferences for public health action in Scotland and England

AbstractIt is often claimed Scotland is more social democratic in outlook compared to England, if this is the case then we might expect to find differences in public attitudes towards health and social justice, reflecting the growing health policy divergence between the two nations. Comparative attitudes towards healthcare in Scotland and England are worthy of close scrutiny here, given the different reform trajectories, with the running of the Scottish NHS based on professionalism and the English NHS structure built on market‐based principles. The Scottish Government also implemented stricter lockdown restrictions compared to the UK Government in England. However, the extent to which the policy responses to the pandemic reflect different attitudes towards collective public health action in the two countries remains under‐researched. In this article, public attitudes towards health in Scotland are compared with those in England. The comparative analysis relies primarily on survey data from the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) module on health and healthcare. This survey was fielded in Scotland and England in the autumn of 2021, during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Overall, Scotland is more solidaristic or ‘social democratic’ than England on key issues relating to public health action and social justice. The findings reveal some commonalities between the nations, confidence in the NHS during the pandemic, and a willingness to improve the health service via higher taxes for example, but also important differences in attitudes and preferences for state action exist that help set the scene for greater policy divergence in the UK.

Assessment of radiological hazards from radioactivity natural of cement used in Dwellings in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Brazil is the fourth largest cement consumer in the world and the largest producer in Latin America, around 1.3% of global production. The main inputs in the manufacture of cement are limestone and clay. Few studies have been carried out in the country on the risk of these materials used in civil construction. Therefore, the objective of this present work is to evaluate the radiological danger that they can present to society. Gamma spectrometry analysis on 16 samples of different brands of cement used as construction material in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) was performed in this study, using an HPGe detector and the Genie 2000 data acquisition software. Samples were set to count for an accumulation time of 14,400 s (4 h) and all measurements were corrected to eliminate background and backscattering. Activity concentrations are determined for 226Ra was from (41.2 ± 1.6 to 174.9 ± 3.9) Bq kg−1, 232Th was from (15.7 ± 0.5 to 43.1 ± 0.7) Bq kg−1 and 40K was from (82.6 ± 7.2 to 254 ± 17) Bq kg−1. To assess radiological health risks: mean values of Radium Activity Equivalent 150.0 ± 3.4 Bq kg−1, Annual Gonadal Dose Equivalent 468 ± 11 μSv year−1 and Lifetime Excess Cancer Risk (ELCR) 2.42 ± 0.06 were calculated. Total Absorbed Dose Rates ranged from 72.2 ± 1.7 to 225.1 ± 5.2 nGy h−1. The damage to collective health was also estimated from the annual effective dose rates with an estimated total cost of damage to health of US$ 130 million. Values are generally within global limits reported by UNSCEAR.

Antiracist ethos and the collective oral health as a pathway for life.

This article proposes a reflection on the imperative of antiracism in collective oral health, which, as a science, field, core, and praxis, contributes significantly to the reconstruction of an ethos that considers equity and enables citizenship and democracy. As a paradigm, we assumed the concept of "Buccality" and the guidelines of the National Comprehensive Health Policy for the Black Population, emphasizing the defense of the right to health as a prerogative of the right to life and the combat against racism and all forms of discrimination systematically. As a critical exercise, we discussed the status quo of collective oral health. We pointed to adopting a racial pro-equity perspective as an intentional, political choice socially agreed upon with all of society for social justice. Finally, we propose recommendations for dismantling systemic racism in collective oral health.

The Loneliness Epidemic.

According to the U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community, social disconnection is being called a critical public health issue. The epidemic of loneliness is widespread and may have profound consequences for our individual and collective health and well-being. And the "costs" of loneliness are real.

Mental health and collective health: an epidemiological analysis of suicides in Brazil

To analyze the temporal behavior of suicides. Cross-sectional, ecological study on suicide registered in the mortality information system. Kernel analysis was used in Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS), TerraView and the Chi-Square test in R software. In twenty years there were 195,046 suicides, with a mortality rate of 4.94, mainly in the southeast, among males with significant growth, low education, single, aged 20-29, white and by hanging. In the kernel map, the south, southeast and northeast regions concentrate the largest clusters. In part of the South and in the interior of the Southeast there was a reduction in mortality. This study provides information about the worrying scenario of suicide in Brazil over twenty years, identifying the areas and characteristics with the greatest risks. To reduce this suicide scenario, effective public actions and a quality health care network that provides comprehensive, equitable and universal assistance to the mental health of individuals are essential, creating conditions to meet the needs of the social body.

Recoding the gift relationship: views on introducing genomic testing to blood donation

This study examines how the institutional context informs the ways in which healthy recipients relate to genomic information. Through focus group data, it considers the trend of blood collection agencies (BCA) moving to extend donor genotyping. We investigated how receipt of genomic information is viewed as fitting into the contract of altruistic, voluntary blood donation by donors and non-donors. Our findings suggest that receipt of genomic health information is viewed as fitting the principles of this exchange with some limits. Participants considered the practical value of receiving different kinds of genetic information for individual and collective health from the perspectives of a healthy, altruistic donor, an “entrepreneurial self” and a potential patient. Findings identify the importance of considering the ethics of providing information on genomic markers to blood donors without current clinical value, as well as the impact of providing this information on the donor – BCA relationship.

The function of public policies in consolidating collective health programs in Brazil

In the Brazilian scenario, the role of public policies plays a crucial role in the consolidation of collective health programs. Thus, the objective of this study is to analyze the role of public policies in the consolidation of collective health programs in Brazil. Data collection took place from September to December 2023, covering several information sources, such as the Scientific Electronic Online Library (SCIELO), the Virtual Health Library (VHL), the CAPES Periodicals Portal, Scopus and Google Academic. The result of the article screening was 16 studies, used to compose the sample. The articles found demonstrated that public policies play essential roles in consolidating collective health programs in Brazil, offering fundamental strategic and institutional support for their design, execution and continuous improvement. In conclusion, the policies establish the guidelines and goals that guide the performance of these programs, ensuring clear objectives aligned with the needs of the population. Furthermore, they play an essential role in the allocation of resources, both financial and human, ensuring the sustainability and operational efficiency of programs over time.

Global Health Impact: Human rights, access to medicines, and measurement.

Should people have a legal human right to health? And, if so, what exactly does protecting this right require? This essay defends some answers to these questions recently articulated in Global Health Impact. It explains how these answers depend on a particular way of thinking about health and the minimally good life, how quality of life matters at and over time, what various agents should do to help people who are unable to live well enough, and many other things. Moreover, it suggests some ways of improving common metrics for measuring and advancing our collective global health impact.