Disease Prevention Initiatives Research Articles

The United Nation's Civil Assistance Command in Korea's (UNCACK) Public Health Measures on Koje Island during the Korean War.

This study focuses on the health and sanitation projects carried out on Koje Island by the United Nations Civil Assistance Command in Korea (UNCACK). Koje Island was unique as it served as a destination for dispersed refugees and as an area for housing prisoners of war. Unlike in other regions, UNCACK was actively involved in the implementation of health and sanitation projects on Koje Island. Their infectious disease control projects on Koje Island serve as a valuable example for studying infectious disease prevention initiatives and local medical projects in modern and contemporary Korea. In this study, I examine the documents produced by UNCACK to assess the status of infectious disease control and vaccination plans. Additionally, I analyze the disease prevention initiatives implemented among the residents of Koje Island, including isolation, treatment, and improvement of living conditions. Finally, I explore the characteristics of the Koje Island preventive measures and assess the efforts and limitations of both UNCACK and the Korean government in addressing health issues during the Korean War. Despite the presence of refugees and POWs, Koje Island managed to implement systematic public health initiatives in a controlled environment, widely regarded as highly successful. The public health initiatives on Koje Island, led by UNCACK, provided an opportunity to utilize limited resources, manpower, and Korean health professionals, cultivating the skills necessary to manage infectious diseases effectively. Moreover, these initiatives on Koje Island, although modest, continued into the postwar period, influencing medical missionary activities, the demand for health services among residents, the establishment of independent medical institutions, and the implementation of local health projects.

Optimizing Patient Medical Records Grouping through Data Mining and K-Means Clustering Algorithm: A Case Study at RSUD Mohammad Natsir Solok

RSUD Mohammad Natsir Solok, located in Solok City, provides comprehensive individual health services within its premises, offering both inpatient and outpatient care with 24-hour service availability. Inpatient services encompass emergency care and basic health services. A crucial component of healthcare operations is medical records, which consist of documented information pertaining to patient identity, examinations, treatments, procedures, and other services rendered. Medical records are essential and should be meticulously created in written or electronic form to ensure completeness and clarity. One common challenge encountered in maintaining medical records is the presence of overlapping data. To tackle this issue, data mining techniques are employed, with clustering being the primary method of choice. The K-Means algorithm is specifically utilized for clusterization purposes. By applying this data mining process and grouping patient medical records, valuable insights into the patterns of disease spread across different villages can be obtained. After applying K-Means clustering method, four distinct clusters were identified. The first cluster comprises 562 items, the second has 406 items, and the third and fourth have 791 and 279 items, respectively. These findings can serve as a reference for the local government, particularly the Solok City Health Office, to facilitate disease prevention initiatives and awareness campaigns. Decision-making related to disease sources, diagnosis, age, and gender of the affected patient can be informed by this data analysis.

Effective Preventative Measures are Essential to Lower Disease Burden From Dengue and COVID-19 Co-infection in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is widely recognized as one of the dengue prone nations, and empirical evidence has consistently demonstrated an upward trend in the severity of the disease over time. With the persistent occurrence of dengue in Bangladesh and the ongoing presence of COVID-19, which has not been fully eradicated and may persist for an uncertain period of time, there is a high probability of co-infection between these 2 illnesses. Given the circumstances, the concurrent occurrence of the COVID-19 and dengue epidemics, along with the potential co-infection, may pose an overwhelming burden on healthcare systems that are already grappling with challenges in meeting the existing demand. Due to a lack of awareness, an inadequate health infrastructure, and ineffective disease prevention initiatives, the country is now more susceptible to the threat posed by a co-infection that has been found to be associated with more severe outcomes, marked by significant morbidity and mortality. The objective of this opinion piece is to explore the gravity of co-infection in Bangladesh, as well as the potential challenges to overcome and the preventative measures that need to be implemented to address the severity. This opinion piece proposes a set of modern preventative strategies that, when integrated with conventional methods, have the potential to mitigate disease severity, avert the occurrence of co-infection between COVID-19 and dengue, and halt the co-epidemics of COVID-19 and dengue.

Global Burden of Disease Study 2019: an opportunity to understand the growing prevalence and impact of hip, knee, hand and other osteoarthritis in Australia.

Understanding population-level trends in osteoarthritis (OA) is critical for planning health services and disease prevention initiatives. To examine trends in the burden of hip, knee, hand and other OA related conditions in Australia from 1990 to 2019 and consider the OA burden in the context of other common conditions associated with older age. Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 data for Australia on OA prevalence, OA-related years lived with disability (YLDs) and OA-related YLDs attributable to high body mass index (BMI) were sourced for 1990-2019. Age-standardised YLD data for ischaemic heart disease, stroke, dementia, type 2 diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were obtained for comparison. Overall, 3.20 million Australians were estimated to have OA in 2019, with substantial growth in the prevalence of hip (+171%), knee (+126%), hand (+110%) and other types of OA (+130%) from 1990 to 2019. Age-standardised prevalence rates reflect the contribution of population ageing. Concomitant growth in OA-related YLDs was also evident; knee OA and hand OA demonstrated the highest disease burden in 2019 (59 684 and 41 893 YLDs respectively). The proportion of knee OA burden attributable to high BMI was 36% in 2019. In 2019, age-standardised YLD rates were higher for OA (313 per 100 000 population) than other common conditions (range: 47 per 100 000 (ischaemic heart disease) to 284 per 100 000 (type 2 diabetes)). OA is an increasingly prevalent, impactful condition with a high non-fatal disease burden relative to other health conditions. Growth in OA populations and OA-related disability underscore the need for enhanced investment in prevention and management.

Overview.

South Africa (SA) faces multiple health challenges. Quantifying the contribution of modifiable risk factors can be used to identify and prioritise areas of concern for population health and opportunities for health promotion and disease prevention interventions. To estimate the attributable burden of 18 modifiable risk factors for 2000, 2006 and 2012. Comparative risk assessment (CRA), a standardised and systematic approach, was used to estimate the attributable burden of 18 risk factors. Risk exposure estimates were sourced from local data, and meta-regressions were used to model the parameters, depending on the availability of data. Risk-outcome pairs meeting the criteria for convincing or probable evidence were assessed using relative risks against a theoretical minimum risk exposure level to calculate either a potential impact fraction or population attributable fraction (PAF). Relative risks were sourced from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors (GBD) study as well as published cohort and intervention studies. Attributable burden was calculated for each risk factor for 2000, 2006 and 2012 by applying the PAF to estimates of deaths and years of life lost from the Second South African National Burden of Disease Study (SANBD2). Uncertainty analyses were performed using Monte Carlo simulation, and age-standardised rates were calculated using the World Health Organization standard population. Unsafe sex was the leading risk factor across all years, accounting for one in four DALYs (26.6%) of the estimated 20.6 million DALYs in 2012. The top five leading risk factors for males and females remained the same between 2000 and 2012. For males, the leading risks were (in order of descending rank): unsafe sex; alcohol consumption; interpersonal violence; tobacco smoking; and high systolic blood pressure; while for females the leading risks were unsafe sex; interpersonal violence; high systolic blood pressure; high body mass index; and high fasting plasma glucose. Since 2000, the attributable age-standardised death rates decreased for most risk factors. The largest decrease was for household air pollution (-41.8%). However, there was a notable increase in the age-standardised death rate for high fasting plasma glucose (44.1%), followed by ambient air pollution (7%). This study reflects the continued dominance of unsafe sex and interpersonal violence during the study period, as well as the combined effects of poverty and underdevelopment with the emergence of cardiometabolic-related risk factors and ambient air pollution as key modifiable risk factors in SA. Despite reductions in the attributable burden of many risk factors, the study reveals significant scope for health promotion and disease prevention initiatives and provides an important tool for policy makers to influence policy and programme interventions in the country.

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND THERAPEUTIC PERSPECTIVES IN DISEASE MANAGEMENT

This paper explores the epidemiological landscape and therapeutic interventions related to a specific health concern. Epidemiological studies provide a comprehensive overview of the prevalence, incidence, risk factors, and patterns of this health issue across diverse populations. The discussion delves into the multifaceted nature of epidemiological research, elucidating the role of various factors—genetic, environmental, social, and behavioral—in influencing disease dynamics. Moreover, this paper analyzes therapeutic strategies, encompassing both traditional and innovative approaches, aiming to mitigate the burden of the health concern. Emphasis is placed on evidence-based interventions, advancements in treatment modalities, and their efficacy in improving patient outcomes. The synthesis of epidemiological data with therapeutic interventions forms a critical nexus in shaping public health policies, clinical practices, and future research directions, ultimately contributing to enhanced healthcare delivery and disease management. The interplay between epidemiology and therapeutics is critical in understanding and addressing the dynamics of diseases. Epidemiological studies elucidate the patterns, causes, and risk factors of diseases within populations, providing essential insights into disease transmission, prevalence, and impact. Concurrently, therapeutic interventions aim to alleviate, manage, or eradicate diseases through various modalities such as pharmaceuticals, lifestyle modifications, and behavioral interventions. This abstract explores the intricate relationship between epidemiology and therapeutics, emphasizing their roles in disease prevention, treatment strategies, and public health initiatives. Understanding the epidemiological landscape informs the development and implementation of effective therapeutic approaches, ultimately contributing to improved health outcomes and disease control within communities and globally

Integrating rare disease management in public health programs in India: exploring the potential of National Health Mission

Rare diseases (RD) are conditions that affect a small number of people and hence do not get the focus on government health priorities in a resource-constrained setting such as India. Therefore, it is essential to focus on strengthening and utilizing the existing public health framework for the optimal usage of healthcare resources. In this regard, National Health Mission (NHM) is one of the crucial programs initiated by the government of India to address the health needs of the under-served. As Phase 1 of the NHM moves towards completion, we explored the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCH + A) program under NHM to assess their potential and limitations to aid RD care. We found that some of the disease-prevention initiatives of NHM address certain RDs and can easily be expanded to manage many such preventable RDs. In addition, NHM programs can provide a unique epidemiological data repository to strengthen the National Rare Disease Registry. These programs can also play important role in providing a continuum of care for many RDs that need lifelong management. However, existing programs have a limited scope to provide specialized RD-related treatments, which is better served in a more focused system. Thus, considering RDs in the design of the existing programs may help RD management better through prevention, data collection, and providing a continuum of care.

Education Solutions to the Medical-Dental Divide.

Arbitrarily cordoning off the mouth from the rest of the body is the educational approach that, since 1840, has been responsible for the medical-dental schism that persists today, preventing oral health's integration with overall health. This divide has also thwarted oral disease prevention initiatives, access to services, and health equity. This article offers an educational plan for reunifying medicine and dentistry, which involves interprofessional education, dual degree training, integrating oral health into medical education, and integrated residency training.

Who or what is to blame? Examining sociodemographic relationships to beliefs about causes, control, and responsibility for cancer and chronic disease prevention in Alberta, Canada

BackgroundBeliefs about causes and responsibility for chronic diseases can affect personal behaviour and support for healthy policies. In this research we examined relationships between socio-demographics (sex, age, education, employment, political alignment, perceived health, household income, household size) and perceptions of causes and responsibility for health behaviour, chronic disease correlates, and attitudes about cancer prevention and causes.MethodsUsing data from the 2016 Chronic Disease Prevention survey in which participants (N = 1200) from Alberta, Canada responded to items regarding how much they believed personal health behaviours, prevention beliefs, and environmental factors (i.e., healthy eating, physical activity, alcohol, smoking, and where a person lives or works) are linked to getting cancer. Participants also responded to questions about causes and responsibility for obesity, alcohol, and tobacco (i.e., individual or societal). Relationships were examined using multinomial logistic regression on socio-demographics and survey items of interest.ResultsMen (compared to women) were less likely to link regular exercise, or drinking excessive alcohol, to reducing or increasing cancer risk. Similarly, men were less likely to link environmental factors to cancer risk, and more likely to agree that cancer was not preventable, and that treatment is more important than prevention. Finally, men were more likely to believe that alcohol problems are an individual’s fault. Left and central voters were more likely to believe that society was responsible for addressing alcohol, tobacco, and obesity problems compared to right voters. Those with less than post-secondary education were less likely to believe that regular exercise, maintaining a healthy body weight, or eating sufficient fruits and vegetables were linked to cancer - or that society should address obesity - compared to those with more education. Households making above the median income (versus below) were more likely to link a balanced diet with cancer and were less likely to think that tobacco problems were caused by external circumstances.ConclusionsThese results provide insight into the importance of health literacy, message framing, and how socio-demographic factors may impact healthy policy. Men, those with less education, and those with less income are important target groups when promoting health literacy and chronic disease prevention initiatives.

Burnout mediates the relationship between coping strategies and self-perceived health in healthcare providers working with HIV/AIDS patients

Burnout syndrome is conceptualized as a particular type of distress mainly occurring among healthcare providers. Burnout syndrome has been shown to identify a serious and spe-cific problem in providing care for HIV-positive patients, in this context health professionals are very sensitive to burnout syndrome not only because of the specific patients' physical needs, but also because of other factors such as HIV-related discrimination, stigma, sexuality, intellectual disability, drugs and fear of HIV contagion during health professionals medical practice. Research studies have often focused on burnout syndrome, coping strategies and psychological and physical health in health professionals employed in the health system show-ing that coping strategies significantly predict burnout syndrome. Despite these premises, no previous study explored the possible role of burnout syndrome in mediating the relationship between coping strategies and mental health in health professionals. A sample of 85 health professionals working in HIV/AIDS units of two Italian hospitals were enrolled in this study. The results showed that emotional exhaustion is a partial mediator of the relationship between emotional coping and mental health status; so, we can assume that structured interventions aimed to improving both emotional coping and burnout syndrome could improve mental health status. All these results underline the importance of health promotion and disease prevention initiatives for health professionals.

Improving Smoking and Blood Pressure Outcomes: The Interplay Between Operational Changes and Local Context.

We undertook a study to identify conditions and operational changes linked to improvements in smoking and blood pressure (BP) outcomes in primary care. We purposively sampled and interviewed practice staff (eg, office managers, clinicians) from a subset of 104 practices participating in EvidenceNOW-a multisite cardiovascular disease prevention initiative. We calculated Clinical Quality Measure improvements, with targets of 10-point or greater absolute improvements in the proportion of patients with smoking screening and, if relevant, counseling and in the proportion of hypertensive patients with adequately controlled BP. We analyzed interview data to identify operational changes, transforming these into numeric data. We used Configurational Comparative Methods to assess the joint effects of multiple factors on outcomes. In clinician-owned practices, implementing a workflow to routinely screen, counsel, and connect patients to smoking cessation resources, or implementing a documentation change or a referral to a resource alone led to an improvement of at least 10 points in the smoking outcome with a moderate level of facilitation support. These patterns did not manifest in health- or hospital system-owned practices or in Federally Qualified Health Centers, however. The BP outcome improved by at least 10 points among solo practices after medical assistants were trained to take an accurate BP. Among larger, clinician-owned practices, BP outcomes improved when practices implemented a second BP measurement when the first was elevated, and when staff learned where to document this information in the electronic health record. With 50 hours or more of facilitation, BP outcomes improved among larger and health- and hospital system-owned practices that implemented these operational changes. There was no magic bullet for improving smoking or BP outcomes. Multiple combinations of operational changes led to improvements, but only in specific contexts of practice size and ownership, or dose of external facilitation.

Population-Level Reach of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Interventions in a Rural Community: Findings from the Heart of New Ulm Project.

This study examines participation by residents of a rural community in programs implemented as part of The Heart of New Ulm (HONU) Project, a population-based cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention initiative. The study compares participation rates for the various interventions to assess which were the most engaging in the priority community and identifies factors that differentiate participants vs. nonparticipants. Participation data were merged with electronic health record (EHR) data representing the larger community population to enable an analysis of participation in the context of the entire community. HONU individual-level interventions engaged 44% of adult residents in the community. Participation ranked as follows: (1) heart health screenings (37% of adult residents), (2) a year-long community weight loss intervention (12% of adult residents), (3) community health challenges (10% of adult residents), and (4) a phone coaching program for invited high CVD-risk residents (enrolled 6% of adult residents). Interventions that yielded the highest engagement were those that had significant staffing and recruited participants over several months, often with many opportunities to participate or register. Compared to nonparticipants, HONU participants were significantly older and a higher proportion were female, married, overweight or obese, and had high cholesterol. Participants also had a lower prevalence of smoking and diabetes than nonparticipants. Findings indicate community-based CVD prevention initiatives can be successful in engaging a high proportion of adult community members. Partnering with local health care systems can allow for use of EHR data to identify eligible participants and evaluate reach and engagement of the priority population.

Longevity and cost of care: the challenge of a self-managed health plan.

This paper aims to analyze the relationship between the cost of health care and the aging of the population assisted by a self-managed plan, reflecting on the ways to address the challenge arising from this conjunction of population demographic changes. This is a descriptive study of the 1997-2016 period based on secondary data from the management operator of the health plan under study and from another administrative database of a self-managing provider with broad nationwide coverage. Older adults (over 60 years) increased 55% during the study period. On the other hand, the so-called "very old" (over 80 years) grew 332.8%. The population above 60 years corresponds to 25.7% of the total, and accounts for 68.8% of expenses. Most of the population covered (84,6%) is located in the State of Rio de Janeiro, which has the highest per capita health care cost in Brazil. We found a relationship between aging of the beneficiary population and increased expenditure. It is imperative to invest in health promotion and disease prevention initiatives as a way of improving the quality of life and financial sustainability of the plan, and define a subsystem that delimits and regulates access to the network and is accepted by the beneficiaries.

Addressing Challenges to Coordinating the Implementation of Place-Based Chronic Disease Prevention Interventions in Los Angeles.

Chronic disease prevention initiatives have traditionally been structured to address a single disease, potentially limiting the scope of health impacts. In the past decade, initiatives have increasingly adopted a coordinated approach, in which multiple interventions are intended to work synergistically-often in a bounded geographic area-to address interrelated risk factors and diseases. However, despite increased interest in this coordinated approach, few examples exist of how coordination has been operationalized in local public health practice. In 2014, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health launched the 4-year Chronic Disease Prevention Strategy (CDPS). Through CDPS, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health implemented a range of environmental, lifestyle change, and health system interventions intended to collectively reduce chronic disease among adults in Los Angeles, with concentrated implementation occurring in 1 high-need neighborhood. This case study examined the activities undertaken to coordinate across CDPS interventions and documented challenges to these efforts. Data were collected via a document review of programmatic materials and structured conversations with staff leading implementation of CDPS interventions. Document review and structured conversations with staff identified 3 primary coordination activities: (1) collaborating on outreach materials to unify messaging, (2) developing a network of common partners, and (3) investing in shared data collection. Operational challenges identified were disparate short-term objectives across interventions, minimal alignment between clinical practice and CDPS goals, restrictions around bidirectional referrals between organizations, and limited bandwidth among new partners to engage with multiple CDPS interventions. Contextual challenges identified were competing social and political issues, and geographic fluidity regarding where community members sought health resources. Developing an initiative-specific coordination plan prior to implementation may help reduce challenges to coordination. Modifications in how health initiatives are funded and structured may be needed: greater flexibility in how funding is administered, and the inclusion of coordination-specific metrics, may enable more robust coordination.

THE ROLE OF MOOD STATES IN ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, A STUDY WITH WORKERS

ABSTRACT Objective: to identify factors related to harmful alcohol consumption, considering both sociodemographic characteristics and mood states. Method: a quantitative cross-sectional study, carried out with 395 non-teaching workers on a campus of a public university in the interior of the state of São Paulo, from July 2017 to June 2018. Information on the sociodemographic profile, mood state and alcohol use pattern were used. Pearson's Chi Square, Fischer Exact and Logistic Regression Tests were performed for data analysis, using the SPSS statistical program. Results: it was identified that 66% of workers had consumed alcoholic beverages in the last 12 months. Of these, 19% were classified in the range of harmful alcohol consumption. It is noteworthy that 35.2% (n=139) of workers mentioned the use in binge and 26.5% (n=105) consume alcohol two to four times a month. These variables were statistically associated with gender, religion and educational level. In addition, a negative correlation was identified between the AUDIT score and the “fatigue” factor of the mood scale. In the end, it was observed that male individuals and those with less education were more likely to consume alcohol in the harmful pattern. Conclusion: it is suggested the development of health promotion and disease prevention initiatives through health education actions and other psychosocial strategies for welcoming these workers.

Registries in healthcare

The Registries provide clinically relevant human data to healthcare professionals and researchers for increasing our understanding of a clinical condition and for treating or counselling patients. Planning healthcare without reliable data from disease registries may prove to be a futile exercise resulting into loss of resources. Hence disease Registries are vital for monitoring the incidence, prevalence and mortality rates, the effectiveness of national disease prevention and control initiatives, resource allocation, and public policy related to the specific disease control.

Interorganizational network findings from a nationwide cardiovascular disease prevention initiative

ObjectivesTo use network analysis in order to evaluate the effectiveness of interorganizational networks in implementing policy, systems, and environmental interventions for cardiovascular disease prevention throughout the United States. MethodsEvaluators conducted an interorganizational network (ION) survey to examine information sharing and joint planning within organizational relationships in 15 community-based cardiovascular disease prevention partnership networks. Density and betweenness centrality scores at the node- and network-level were calculated for each partnership network using UCINET© network analysis software. Common data patterns were then extracted using a multiple case study format. ResultsNetwork density scores ranged from 0.50 to 1.00 (M = 0.84, SD = 0.14) for information sharing and 0.43–1.00 (M = 0.77, SD = 0.15) for joint planning. Centralization indices ranged from 0.00 to 0.11 (M = 0.04, SD = 0.03), and 0.00-0.17 (M = 0.06, SD = 0.05), respectively. Overall, 73.33 % of communities were successful in meeting their partnership goals. ConclusionsWhen planning and implementing interorganizational networks, high betweenness centrality and more hierarchically structured networks were identified as the most salient partnership characteristics to programmatic success. The network findings were triangulated with previously published qualitative data to provide context. These findings provide valuable insight on how national networks can be designed and leveraged to implement systematic community health projects.

PREVENTIVE PROGRAM TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PEOPLE IN RISK OF OSTEOPOROSIS - SHARED SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE

Osteoporosis is a disease of serious medical and social significance. Despite existing knowledge, ongoing scientific research and disease prevention initiatives, the high morbidity and associated risks of fracture continue to be a cause of disability, impaired quality of life and high mortality. These are strong enough motives for the Osteoporosis problem to be the subject of attention, both in medical and scientific circles, as well as for those interested and responsible for their health. The acquired knowledge of motor and nutritional regimes applied in life would delay and even prevent the consequences of the inevitable physiological changes associated with advancing age. The prognosis for increasing average life expectancy in developed countries is inevitably associated with a significant increase in the incidence of osteoporosis. Early prevention of osteoporosis is a condition for reducing the health consequences of the disease. In this regard, Trakia University - Stara Zagora, Bulgaria was qualified for financing a research project with the main performer Medical College - Stara Zagora, with a two years term of implementation. The theme of the project was "Developing a preventive program to improve the quality of life of individuals at risk of osteoporosis". The work program contained ten main tasks: (1) Forming a group of women to be surveyed. The condition for inclusion was that they were over 45 years of age, occupying professions in which the work process is mainly in a static posture of the body, N = 255; (2) Making a questionnaire of 48 questions, grouped in 5 sections: motor activity, nutrition, pathological processes and changes in the musculoskeletal system, past and present conditions and diseases and medications received, with influence on calcium metabolism; (3) Determining the contingent of people at risk for osteoporosis, selected on the basis of the answers from the survey N = 85; (4) Conducting clinical laboratory tests for serum levels of Vitamin D, Osteokalcin and B Crross Laps; (5) Measurement of bone density by ultrasonic osteodensitometry with the SONOST 3000 apparatus; (6) Determining the extent of existing pain by completing the Pain Scale; (7) Development and implementation of a kinesitherapy program with exercises and recommendations for physical activity; (8) Improvement of health knowledge and culture of osteoporosis risk women contingent. For this purpose, two types of leaflets with health education content were developed: “Briefly on osteoporosis - how it affects the quality of human life and is there any chance of change” and “ Nutrition in osteoporosis ”; (9) Promoting the results obtained in the implementation of the work program of the research project; (10) Participation of members of the research team in the annual European Public Health WEEK, 13-17 May 2019, an initiative supported by the European Commission and the World Health Organization. The purpose of this paper is to inform about the experience and the implemented activities of the Scientific project of MK, Tr.U, as well as its participation in the European Public Health Week.

Workplace interventions for intimate partner violence: A systematic review

Workplace interventions represent important opportunities to increase awareness of and adherence to disease prevention and health promotion initiatives. However, research on workplace interventions for intimate partner violence (IPV) has not been systematically evaluated. This systematic review summarizes existing studies evaluating workplace interventions for IPV. PubMed, PsycINFO, Business Source Complete, Web of Science, and Social Services s were systematically searched for English-language studies published before November 2017. Six studies evaluating five interventions were included. Only one study used a randomized design, and only two studies measured whether outcomes were sustained over time. None of the interventions addressed perpetrators of IPV. Interventions focused on recognizing signs of abuse, responding to victims, and providing referrals to community-based resources. Methodological rigor of included studies varied, but all reported at least one intervention-related benefit. Findings included improved awareness of IPV, increased provision of information to victims, and greater willingness to intervene if an employee may be experiencing IPV. Although sparse, available evidence suggests there are potential benefits of workplace interventions for IPV. It is important for future interventions to focus on primary and secondary prevention of IPV and address perpetration, and for investigators to use rigorous study designs and measure whether effects are sustained.

Healthy People for the 21st Century: Understanding Use of Healthy People 2020 as a Web-Based Initiative.

This study assesses how the nation's preeminent health promotion and disease prevention initiative, Healthy People, is utilized by key stakeholders. A Web-based survey was administered to assess awareness and use of Healthy People among state, local, tribal health organizations and other key stakeholder groups. Follow-up interviews were conducted with a subset of respondents. Awareness and use of Healthy People have remained high among state, local, and tribal stakeholders. Healthy People 2020 is most frequently used as a data source. The Leading Health Indicators (LHIs) are an important element of the initiative, and nearly 90% of organizations that use the LHIs found them valuable. Awareness and use of other tools and resources are more limited. Healthy People continues to be a valued resource among public health stakeholders; however, continued outreach is needed to promote the use of tools and resources available on healthypeople.gov for this decade and beyond. Healthy People is a national initiative used most frequently as a data source by state and local health departments, tribal organizations, and other public health practitioners.