Health Perspective Research Articles

Using Quality Improvement to Expand and Align State Public Health Long-Term Follow-up Data Collection Across Newborn Screening Conditions

Context: Despite the undeniable success of newborn screening (NBS), numerous barriers exist regarding long-term follow-up (LTFU) of children with conditions included in NBS. Furthermore, there is a focus on condition-specific follow-up with no national guidelines for standard quality measures collected by state public health LTFU programs. Program: Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Longitudinal Follow-up for NBS. Implementation: A state public health LTFU for NBS quality improvement (QI) project was carried out with collaboration between MDH project team members and a QI Steering Team who provided clinical, public health, education, caregiver, and community perspectives and expertise to MDH. Relevant measures were selected from existing data elements, and additional measures were developed based on exchange between MDH project team and the QI Steering Team. Potential data sources were explored and prioritized. Processes for querying existing data sources such as death records were refined, new sources such as electronic health records and paper/PDF health records were established, and data collection was piloted. The Minnesota Electronic Disease Surveillance System was modified, and an electronic data form was created to promote consistent data abstraction from sources. Throughout the project, progress was evaluated and shared. At project conclusion, MDH project team and the QI Steering Team reviewed project outcomes and approaches to evolve the project into ongoing surveillance. Evaluation: Five common public health LTFU measures were determined. Overall, 77% of attempted measures were successfully collected. Primary and secondary data sources were adopted. In addition, collected data resulted in 7% of cases that were closed to further public health LTFU, often related to a move out of state. Discussion: This project established the feasibility of state public health LTFU surveillance of outcomes and health care use by collecting a common data set applicable across NBS conditions.

The Occurrence of Chlamydia felis in Cats and Dogs in Hungary.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that many human infections are zoonoses, creating a worldwide public health challenge. Among Chlamydia species, Chlamydia felis is the leading cause of conjunctivitis in cats and is a prominent zoonotic species. This study aimed to determine the occurrence and risk of chlamydiosis in cats and dogs in Szeged, Hungary, and surrounding areas. The total nucleic acids from conjunctival swab samples of symptomatic and asymptomatic animals were extracted using an automated nucleic acid extraction system. After that, DNA was amplified by pan-chlamydia PCR. Bacterial and fungal cultures were also performed to detect other microorganisms. Of the 93 animals, 32 (34.4%) were positive for pan-chlamydia PCR. The positivity rates were 33.3% (26/78) in cats and 40.0% (6/15) in dogs. Furthermore, the positivity rates were 37.2% (16/43) in the cat shelter, 42.4% (14/33) in the veterinary clinic, and 11.7% (2/17) in household pets. In total, 103 species were identified through culture-based examinations, including 97 (94.2%) bacterial and 6 fungal (5.8%) species. From both human and animal health perspectives, it is essential to have a detailed understanding of the circumstances of chlamydiosis, given the global impact of zoonotic diseases.

Pathogen Prevalence in Cetaceans Stranded along the Italian Coastline between 2015 and 2020.

The monitoring of stranded marine mammals represents a strategic method to assess their health, conservation status, and ecological role in the marine ecosystem. Networks worldwide track stranding events for the passive monitoring of mortality patterns, emerging and reemerging pathogens, climate change, and environmental degradation from a One Health perspective. This study summarizes pathogen prevalence data from the Italian Stranding Network (ISN) derived from post-mortem investigations on cetaceans found dead stranded along the Italian coastline between 2015 and 2020. The decomposition of the carcasses and logistics limited the post-mortem examination to 585 individuals, out of 1236 single-stranding reports. The most relevant pathogens identified were Cetacean Morbillivirus, Herpesvirus, Brucella spp., and Toxoplasma gondii, whose roles as environmental stressors are well known, despite their real impact still needing to be investigated in depth. Statistical analysis showed that age and sex seem to be positively related to the presence of pathogens. This study represents the first step in harmonizing post-mortem investigations, which is crucial for evidence-based conservation efforts. Implementing diagnostic and forensic frameworks could offer an indirect insight into the systematic monitoring of diseases to improve the identification of regional and temporal hotspots in which to target specific mitigation, management, and conservation strategies.

Public health care staff during the COVID-19 pandemic: a comparison of job demands and work functioning between temporary and permanent staff

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic posed an enormous challenge on the public health workforce, leading to the hiring of much temporary staff. Temporary staff may experience poorer working conditions compared to permanent staff. From a public health perspective, we need to know how working conditions are experienced when there is an acute pressure on recruiting sufficient public health care staff. This study aimed to investigate differences in job demands and work functioning between temporary and permanent public health care staff, during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands and compare it with available pre-pandemic data from the general working population.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included temporary (n = 193) and permanent (n = 98) public health care staff from a municipal health care service in the north of the Netherlands. The participants completed a questionnaire with items about quantitative, cognitive, emotional demands (Copenhagen PsychoSOcial Questionnaire, COPSOQ, range 1-100) and work functioning (Work Role Functioning Questionnaire, WRFQ, range 1-100). The participants’ scores were compared to the general working population and differences between temporary and permanent staff were investigated using linear regression analysis. In addition, explorative analyses were conducted with temporary staff stratified by task and permanent staff by department.ResultsPermanent staff had relatively high scores on job demands compared to the general working population, whereas temporary staff had relatively low scores. On work functioning, permanent staff had similar scores as the general working population and temporary staff had better scores. Compared to permanent staff, temporary staff had lower, i.e. better, scores on quantitative (regression coefficient (B)=-26.7; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) -30.8 to -22.5), cognitive (B=-24.4; 95% CI -29.0 to -19.9), and emotional demands (B=-11.8; 95% CI -16.0 to -7.7), and better scores on work functioning (B = 7.8; 95% CI 4.5 to 11.3).ConclusionsTemporary staff experienced lower job demands and reported better work functioning than permanent staff. The acute expansion of the public health workforce did not seem to negatively impact the job demands and work functioning of temporary public health care staff.

Electrical Safety in Public Healthcare Facilities and Medical Devices Management

In hospitals, electrical hazards pose a serious risk that needs to be continuously assessed and improved. Medical surveillance systems and workplace assessments are frequently disregarded, and workers do not follow workplace instructions on safety precautions. The events are linked to a lack of understanding about the significance of electrical dangers and workplace safety and public health. Ignoring these evaluations could have negative effects on one's health, the quality of one's work, handicap, and impairment. The perspective of occupational safety and health on electrical dangers in hospital settings is described in this paper. Additional preventive actions were suggested in order to provide a list of workable and realistic actions that would create a safer and healthier workplace.

Exploring Pathways from Community Involvement to Empowerment in Sexual and Reproductive Health: A Public Health Perspective

The intersection of community involvement and empowerment in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) initiatives represents a critical area in public health. This scoping review aimed to explore the pathways from community involvement to empowerment within SRH initiatives, providing a comprehensive understanding of how public health strategies engage and build the capacity of communities. The literature from databases such as PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were reviewed systematically, focusing on studies published between 2000 and 2023. The review identified various public health interventions that initially engage communities through participation, consultation and collaboration. These interventions often serve as the foundation for subsequent empowerment, characterised by capacity building, autonomy and advocacy. Key findings highlight that effective SRH initiatives involve community members in programme activities and foster environments where they can gain the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to take control of their health outcomes. Our analysis revealed that successful pathways from involvement to empowerment are multifaceted, requiring sustained commitment, resources and culturally sensitive approaches. The review underscores the importance of integrating community involvement and empowerment in designing and implementing SRH programmes to ensure sustainable and impactful health outcomes. This scoping review contributes to the existing literature by mapping the relationship between community involvement and empowerment, offering insights for public health practitioners and policymakers aiming to enhance SRH initiatives. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies to better understand the long-term impacts of these pathways on community health and well-being.

Healthcare Access and Financing: A Legal and Public Health Perspective

The welfare provisions of the current Constitution centre on healthcare. The Indian Constitution's Article 42 declares that the state has an obligation to take all reasonable steps to promote public health. Additionally, Article 47 of the Indian Constitution, another article containing Directive Principles of State Policy, mandates that the state carry out its primary duties to improve public health by raising the standard of living, improving nutrition, and improving public health. In particular, the state must work to outlaw the use of drugs and alcohol, unless prescribed, as these substances are harmful to health. It follows that welfare regulations clearly place an obligation on the state to increase its assistance in promoting the health of those individuals who are unable to pay for the expensive medical care needed to treat their illnesses. In light of the urgency and importance of the issue, the World Health Organisation designated Universal Health Coverage (UHC) as its top goal. Ensuring that everyone has access to necessary health services of adequate quality and is shielded from the financial burden of medical expenses is the goal of universal health coverage. In underdeveloped nations, financial security against medical expenses is just as important as access to healthcare.

Medication Adherence and Health Outcomes: A Public Health Perspective

Medicine is a two-edged sword: while it can treat a patient's illness, when applied carelessly, it also has the potential to do more harm than good. Ensuring that patients receive appropriate medication for their clinical condition at the appropriate time, by the appropriate channel, and in the appropriate doses should be the top priority for any healthcare system. Polypharmacy can be helpful because numerous morbidities are common, but it can also have unintended harmful effects. The co-morbidity-polypharmacy score uses the patient's physiological age rather than their chronological age to predict how their therapy will turn out. Any departure from the medication's intended therapeutic impact may be regarded as a drug-related issue. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of clinical pharmacist interventions on drug-related issues in prescriptions for polypharmacy as well as the cost-benefit analysis of clinical pharmacy services. The particular goals were to recognise and address drug-related issues, find out how well health care providers received clinical pharmacist interventions, analyse the cost-benefit of clinical pharmacy services, and create and suggest a clinical pharmacists intervention form to standardise and record drug-related issues.

Perceptions of health and ecosystem risks from free-roaming domestic animals in Mediterranean wetlands: One health perspective

Perceptions of health and ecosystem risks from free-roaming domestic animals in Mediterranean wetlands: One health perspective

Antimicrobial resistance burden in India and Germany in 2022: A systematic analysis along with One Health perspective

Globally increasing antibiotic resistance has been linked to the extensive use of antibiotics in medical, veterinary, and agricultural Practices. This study aims to investigate the correlations of antimicrobial-resistant of various pathogens in three compartments: humans, animals and the environment in India and Germany. A systematic search was carried out in Medline via PubMed, Google Scholar, and science direct, including studies published in 2022. Out of 532 papers, 24 were considered for meta-analysis. Our findings reveals that in India, β-lactam is highly resistant in animals. Quinolone, on the other hand, was highly resistant in humans. In the environmental sectors, aminoglycosides and β-lactams is resistant. While in Germany, β-lactam resistance is high across all three sectors. However, E. coli was the most frequent and resistant pathogen in both countries, with significant resistance to β-lactams and cephalosporins across all compartments. These results underscore the critical need for monitoring antibiotic resistance patterns and developing targeted antibiotic regimens. A One Health-based intervention strategy is essential to mitigate the spread of AMR and improve health outcomes globally.

Vascular access device selection: Optimizing patient outcomes - Part 1.

A systematic evaluation of vascular access device (VAD) selection incorporates patient, device, and infusate characteristics to ensure optimal device placement. This article explores VAD selection from the perspective of vessel health and preservation and describes VAD selection options and indications, VAD-related complications, and strategies to reduce those complications.

Rabies in a domestic cat in Niagara: An environmental health perspective

On Friday June 16, 2023 at 4:00 pm, Niagara Region Public Health & Emergency Services (NRPH&ES) received notification of a rabies positive result for a cat that they had submitted for rabies testing earlier that week. The investigation revealed that it was a domestic cat from an urban area in St. Catharines that had been around numerous people and other animals during its infectious period. As part of the follow-up, NRPH&ES contacted all potential exposures, coordinated vaccination for those that required it and collaborated with other agencies to ensure the safety of all those involved. In addition, NRPH&ES navigated working with vaccine hesitant clients who were uncooperative in providing details pertaining to people who may have been in contact with the rabid cat, other animals living in the household, and ultimately reluctant to receive rabies post exposure prophylaxis (rPEP). Through innovation, unconventional methods and deviation from standard practice, NRPH&ES was able to build a trusting relationship with all clients, gather the information they required to conduct a fulsome investigation, and vaccinate and confine the other animal exposed to the rabid cat.

Livelihood vulnerability to climate change health impacts among Amhara Sayint district community, northeastern Ethiopia: A composite index approach

Climate change significantly impacts public health, affecting nearly everyone across the globe and contributing to approximately 10% of global mortality. Ethiopia is particularly vulnerable to the changing climate attributed impacts due to economic, and social determinants. While research on climate change is expanding, it often prioritizes its effects on agriculture. The impacts from public health perspective are frequently overlooked. We address this shortcoming by evaluating the vulnerability of the community in the district of Amhara Sayint, Amhara, northeastern Ethiopia, to the health impacts of climate change, and identifying factors involved. Data was collected using a community-based cross-sectional approach, involving 605 randomly selected households between July Twenty and September Five, 2022. The data collection process utilized a validated and pilot-tested questionnaire, which was administered through face-to-face interview with the aid of Kobo Collect toolbox. The community's vulnerability was assessed using the IPCC's framework of vulnerability. Household's Vulnerability status was then classified into three levels according to their Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) score. A partial proportional oddsapproach of ordinal logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with vulnerability to climate change attributed health impacts. Among the 605 respondents, 48% (95% CI: 44.1, 52.1) were identified as vulnerable, and about 4.6 % (95% CI: 3, 6.6) were classified as highly vulnerable. Wealth status (AOR1 = 1.8; 95 % CI: 1.2, 2.8), educational status (AOR1 = 2.8; 95% CI: 1.1, 7.3), marital status (AOR2 = 4.7, 95% CI: 1.6, 13.4), and home crowdedness (AOR2 = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.1, 8.1) significantly associated with vulnerability. Over half of the residents in the district wereeither being vulnerable or highly vulnerable to climate change attributed health impacts. Therefore, prioritizing prevention and preparedness along with conducting spatial analysis to identify high-risk areas for timely intervention, is essential.

The Importance of Accounting for the Dead in Migration

Executive Summary This article highlights the importance of accounting for the dead in migration contexts, from international humanitarian law (IHL), international human rights law (IHRL), and forensic perspectives. Starting by reviewing obligations under IHL and IHRL for the processes of accounting, the article discusses forensic action and the role that accounting can play to protect the dead and clarify the fate and whereabouts of the missing for their families. Considering the complexity of missing and deceased migrant cases, this problem must be approached from several complementary angles, including States codifying international legal obligations related to accounting for the dead in domestic legal or policy frameworks; developing national mechanisms to collect, centralize, and report disaggregated information on migrant deaths; addressing migrant deaths from a public health perspective; pursuing identification efforts including participating in transnational coordination mechanisms; developing strong partnerships with civil society actors; and coupling accounting initiatives with policies that promote the search for missing migrants.

The History of US Menstrual Health, School Nurses, and the Future of Menstrual Health Equity.

In the United States, adolescents suffer from inadequate menstrual health, meaning that adolescents are unprepared for menarche, lack the practical resources they need to comfortably and confidently manage menstruation, and receive inadequate health education and care for menstrual pain and disorders. In this article, we provide a historical analysis of the role of school nurses in addressing menstruation from the early 20th century up to the present day. We contextualize the current realities of school nursing and menstrual health education and clinical support. We argue that the decentralized US school system, a cultural aversion to open discussion about menstruation, and the outsized influence of commercial menstrual product manufacturers have hampered the ability of school nurses to deliver menstrual health education along with menstrual health support. Finally, we discuss implications for today's schooling experiences as well as recommendations for how to support school nurses in aligning our national approach to menstrual health toward the public health perspective of menstrual equity. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(9):903-908. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307705).

The macroeconomic overview of the alcohol industry: a perspective from the emerging market of Asia

Purpose This study aims to analyze the relationship between the alcohol brewing industry and the macroeconomic variables of the emerging market of Asia. Design/methodology/approach The study uses secondary data for the period of 32 years and applies the autoregressive distributed lag-error correction method (ARDL-ECM) approach to understand short- and long-run dynamics in the alcohol industry by considering macroeconomic variables. Findings The findings of the study confirm the existence of a long-run relationship between the alcohol brewing industry and the macroeconomic variables considered for this study. Research limitations/implications The authors present a few limitations of this study. First, this study uses secondary data originating from one of the emerging markets of Asia. Second, the study is solely conducted from an economic perspective rather than from a social or health perspective. Finally, the study considers the data originating from the organized sector of the alcohol industry of India. Practical implications The study will be helpful to the researchers in guiding the future course of research in the area of the alcohol industry. This study can be helpful to the policymakers in framing the National Alcohol and taxation Policy. This study also helps both the producers and exporters to strategize sustainable production and trade of alcoholic beverages. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first of its kind to analyze the alcohol industry from the macroeconomic perspective through the ARDL-ECM approach.

Epidemiological evidence for the association between hearing loss and health in the community-dwelling population: a public health perspective on hearing loss prevention

Epidemiological evidence for the association between hearing loss and health in the community-dwelling population: a public health perspective on hearing loss prevention

Gaming Disorders: Navigating the Fine Line between Entertainment and Addiction-Gaming History, Health Risks, Social Consequences, and Pathways to Prevention.

The number of people immersed in excessive gaming has increased in this age of rapid digitalization. The World Health Organization and American Psychiatric Association Organization recognize a gaming disorder as a condition that results in significant problems in daily life as a result of excessive gaming. Both organizations emphasize the similarities to behavioral addictions such as gambling. We examined the appropriate usage of video games from the perspectives of health and management in this study. For the general population, video games provide positive impacts such as stress alleviation and memory improvement. Game playing leads to a loss of time and money for the individual. It also has a negative impact on the individual's family and social life, evolving into a social problem. Gaming addiction is often accompanied by psychological disorders and other addictions, and long-term medical treatment, including approaches to the individual's psychological background and cognitive-behavioral therapy, is necessary. Therefore, the prevention of gaming disorder is essential. From a societal standpoint, action is required in three contexts: the government, game developers, and within the household as a whole. Simultaneously, the public needs to understand the positive potential of gaming, such as e-sports.

Economic, social and legal implications of MediSearch (AI search engine) from Indian health perspective

Economic, social and legal implications of MediSearch (AI search engine) from Indian health perspective

From Bulk to Nano: Formation, Features, and Functions of Nano-Black Carbon in Biogeochemical Processes.

Globally increasing wildfires and widespread applications of biochar have led to a growing amount of black carbon (BC) entering terrestrial ecosystems. The significance of BC in carbon sequestration, environmental remediation, and the agricultural industry has long been recognized. However, the formation, features, and environmental functions of nanosized BC, which is one of the most active fractions in the BC continuum during global climate change, are poorly understood. This review highlights the formation, surface reactivity (sorption, redox, and heteroaggregation), biotic, and abiotic transformations of nano-BC, and its major differences compared to other fractions of BC and engineered carbon nanomaterials. Potential applications of nano-BC including suspending agent, soil amendment, and nanofertilizer are elucidated based on its unique properties and functions. Future studies are suggested to develop more reliable detection techniques to provide multidimensional information on nano-BC in environmental samples, explore the critical role of nano-BC in promoting soil and planetary health from a one health perspective, and extend the multifield applications of nano-BC with a lower environmental footprint but higher efficiency.