Child Health Promotion Research Articles

Environmental enrichment: A concept analysis.

The concept analysis of environmental enrichment aims to clarify the meaning of the term contributing to a shared understanding of its use in healthcare and future research studies. Environmental enrichment has implications in health promotion in children's development and healthy aging in the general population. A literature search using PubMed and CINAHL databases on environmental enrichment was conducted to identify the uses of the term from various disciplines. The keywords are "environmental enrichment", "socialization", "physical activity", "cognitive stimulation", and "experience-dependent". Human studies from 2000 to 2020 were included in the search. Availability of green spaces, neighborhood safety, walkability to community centers, and accessibility of community resources are antecedents of environmental enrichment. Defining attributes are positive stimulation, interpersonal interaction, and physical engagement. The consequences of environmental enrichment are improved cognitive functioning in children, decline in memory impairment, and reduced risk of developing dementia in the elderly. Engaging and counseling patients, family members, and the community in adverse effects of a deprived environment and the benefits of an enriched environment is a vital tenet of the nursing discipline. Understanding the optimum amount of positive stimulation, interpersonal interaction duration, and frequency are needed in future research.

Back to the Future: Mentoring as Means and End in Promoting Child Mental Health

Youth mentoring is a potentially powerful tool for prevention and intervention, but it has garnered little attention from clinical child and adolescent psychologists. For decades, the practice of youth mentoring has out-paced its underlying science, and meta-analytic studies consistently reveal modest outcomes. The field is now at an important crossroads: Continue to endorse traditional, widely used models of mentoring or shift to alternative models that are more in line with the tenets of prevention science. Presented here is a bilateral framework to guide the science and practice of mentoring going forward. Our premise is that mentoring relationships can serve as both means to a targeted end and as a valued end unto itself. We present a functional typology of current mentoring programs (supportive, problem-focused, & transitional) and call for greater specification of both the process and expected outcomes of mentoring. Finally, we argue that efforts to leverage mentoring relationships in service of youth development and the promotion of child and adolescent mental health will likely require disrupting the science, practice, and policy that surrounds youth mentoring.

An integrated approach to the health preservation of school children

The need for an integrated approach to the preservation and health promotion of school children, firstly due to low level of student health and its worsening dynamics; secondly, a variety of factors, including uncounted factors, that have an impact on health status and dynamics; thirdly, the narrowness and fragmentation of health preservation practice. An integrated approach has two dimensions – horizontal and vertical. The horizontal dimension provides highlighting significant aspects of health preservation, the vertical dimension – its levels. Nine aspects of an integrated approach to the health preservation of schoolchildren are highlighted and described: conceptual, political, legislative, technological, medical and educational, social, “co – participating, educational, organizational and technological. Particular attention is paid to agreement that priority lies in the health of students, along with their education and upbringing, their political and legal consolidation, organizational and technological implementation. Also, five levels of health preservation management processes are highlighted: personal, school, municipal, regional, federal.

Childhood Lifestyle Choices, Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction, and the Terrific 2.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) (diastolic heart failure) is a clinical syndrome that now accounts for at least half the cases of heart failure in adult patients. Decompensated HFpEF is a common and costly reason for admission to the hospital.1 From a pathophysiologic perspective, the left ventricle (LV) is stiff or noncompliant and characterized by an altered pressure-volume relationship.2 Asymptomatic LV diastolic dysfunction is a precursor to this clinical heart failure syndrome, and obesity and hypertension are the major risk factors for both diastolic dysfunction and HFpEF. Patients with early-stage HFpEF are characterized by euvolemic dyspnea.3 As the syndrome advances, congestion and atrial fibrillation develop. In late stages, pulmonary hypertension and the cardiorenal syndrome are common. The clinical course often results in recurrent hospital admissions for decompensated heart failure. Guideline-directed medical and device therapy, often beneficial for patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (systolic heart failure), does not exist for patients with HFpEF. Decongestion is usually the only therapeutic option for patients with decompensated HFpEF, but diuresis can prove difficult in patients with the cardiorenal syndrome. Caring for such patients is frustrating and difficult.Why would a pediatrician care about a heart failure syndrome in adults? Because obesity and inactivity during childhood may lay the foundation for HFpEF in adulthood. In this issue of Pediatrics, Heiskanen et al4 report on the relationship between cardiovascular risk factors in children and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in adulthood. The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (YFS) was an ambitious multicenter longitudinal study of cardiovascular risk factors from childhood to adulthood in the general population of Finland. The baseline study was conducted in 1980 and included 3596 children and adolescents (51% female participants). Follow-up data were collected in 1983, 1986, 1989, 2001, 2007, and 2011. Echocardiography was performed on 1994 of the participants in 2011 (ages 34–49 years). Using a clinically accepted noninvasive Doppler-derived assessment of LV diastolic function and LV filling pressure (mitral E/e′ ratio [E: velocity of early diastolic filling of the LV; e′: velocity of the mitral annulus during diastole]), the authors identified 3 major childhood risk factors that were associated with diastolic dysfunction in adulthood: increased childhood adiposity, decreased physical activity, and increased systolic blood pressure.4,5 The associations of childhood adiposity and physical activity with adult diastolic dysfunction were independent of adulthood levels of the same factors, whereas childhood systolic blood pressure was not.The YFS suggests that, in some patients, LV myocardial structural changes may start decades before the onset of the clinical heart failure syndrome we call HFpEF. Over the years, millions of dollars have been spent on negative clinical trials looking for the “holy grail” of HFpEF treatment. In reality, it is unrealistic to think that a drug is going to reverse structural changes that started decades before drug treatment commenced.What, then, is the answer to HFpEF? Prevention. Given the results of the YFS, prevention should begin during childhood. Focusing on prevention early should result in a reduced burden of HFpEF as well as other medical problems commonly seen in adults. Where do we start? In 2010, the American Heart Association defined national goals for cardiovascular health promotion and disease reduction for children and adults.6 This gave rise to My Life Check Life’s Simple 7. The Simple 7 included the following: manage blood pressure, control cholesterol, reduce blood sugar, get active, eat better, lose weight, and stop smoking.7 The Simple 7 outlines a comprehensive way to improve one’s health and reduce cardiovascular risk for children and adults. But implementing 7 actionable items is difficult for most individuals, especially children. Rather than the Simple 7, for children, I would start with the Terrific 2: increased physical activity and sodium restriction. Implementing these 2 actionable items is far simpler than 7 and should result in reduced rates of obesity and hypertension in adulthood.Right now, adult cardiologists are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of patients with HFpEF and frustrated by the lack of treatment options. One day, it would be nice to ask what happened to all of the patients with HFpEF. Although the Simple 7 are more comprehensive, adoption of the Terrific 2 is a step toward the lofty but achievable goal of decreasing the number of adults with HFpEF and other cardiovascular problems.

Oral Health Surveillance in Childhood by Family Pediatricians in the Province of Trento - North Italy. Limits and Perspectives

Introduction: The prevalence of dental caries in childhood has seen a significant decrease in the last few decades. The monitoring systems allow us to know the progress of the disease over time and the other aspects that require improvement. The study reports the temporal trend of the oral health state in children residing in the province of Trento (north east Italy) and evaluated at the age of 6 years. The study also analyzes, on the birth cohort of 2011 and assessed in 2017, by family pediatricians, the association of dental caries on deciduous teeth with socio-demographic factors. Materials and Methods: The source of the data is represented by the forms filled by the family pediatricians on the occasion of the 6-year health assessment. Since the birth cohort of 2008, family pediatricians have been involved in the surveillance of oral health in childhood. On this basis, the trend of the prevalence of free caries and the trend of oral hygiene procedures followed by children over time have been calculated. The factors associated with the risk of decay of deciduous teeth have been analyzed with a multiple analysis according to the logistic model. Mother-related variables were retrieved using the Birth Assistance Certificate archive. Results: There is a progressive increase in the proportion of caries-free children which is statistically significant. The prevalence at 2017 is 77%, higher in Italian than in foreign children. The proportion of children with optimal oral hygiene practice increased statistically significantly. The proportion of children who underwent fluoride prophylaxis within the age of 6 has been statistically significantly reduced. The proportion of children with at least one access to the dentist within the age of 6 recorded an increase in an initial period. The accesses for sealing the first molars have also increased over time with a statistically significant trend. Differences remain between Italians and foreigners. The presence of a mother of foreign nationality, a mother aged 24 or younger and a sub-optimal practice of oral hygiene are independent risk factors for the onset of decay of deciduous teeth at the age of 6. Discussion: Family pediatricians can contribute to oral health surveillance in childhood. Family pediatricians can also play an important role, considering that he comes into contact with the child and his family from birth to puberty. It is necessary however integrate this professional into the network of local health services. A revisit of the provincial program for the oral health promotion in childhood would seem necessary, improving the relations with schools and the interventions to the most vulnerable groups such as foreigners Women of childbearing age and during pregnancy should also receive special care, considering that the mother’s lifestyle can have significant impact on the health and behavior of the child.

Особенности показателей эффективности оздоровления детей в стационарных организациях отдыха и оздоровления в период пандемии СOVID-19

Introduction. Rehabilitation of children in stationary suburban recreation and health improvement organizations (camps) is one of the priority directions for children’s health care and social policy of the state. The introduced total self-isolation regimen in the spring of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition to distance education made signifi cant adjustments to the prevailing stereotypes of the daily routine and behavior of children, led to a reduction in the time spent in the open air, a decrease in their physical activity. Aim of the research. Comparative evaluation of the effi ciency indicators of children’s health improvement in the pandemic (2020) and non-epidemic (2018–2019) periods in children’s summer stationary suburban camps for recreation and health promotion. Materials and methods. The study was carried out as a part of the pilot project implementation “Evaluation of the Health Improvement Effi ciency” (2018–2020) on the territory of 15 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The information was collected and analyzed using the software “Evaluation of the Organization of Children’s Health Improvement in Stationary Suburban Recreation and Health Promotion Camps”, developed by the Novosibirsk Research Institute of Hygiene of Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare (Novosibirsk). The object of the study was children aged 7–17 years (n = 85 666) who had a rest in 134 stationary recreation and health improvement camps in the summer of 2018–2020. To determine the efficiency of recuperation, such indicators as the length and weight of the body, lung capacity, hand strength and their dynamics were assessed during the period of the health improving shift. Evaluation of the results was carried out in accordance with 2.4.4.0127-18 “Methodology for Evaluating the Effi ciency of Health Improvement in Stationary Organizations for Recreation and Health Promotion of Children” guidelines. R e s u l t s . It was revealed a decrease in the proportion of children with a high effi ciency of health improvement in 2020 in comparison with 2018–2019 due to the lack of positive dynamics of hand strength and vital capacity of the lungs indicators, as well as negative dynamics of body mass index. Conclusion. The lower indicators of the effi ciency of children’s health improvement are due to a considerable decrease in physical activity and the time spent in the open air in the period preceding the summer health-improving season of 2020.

Does a Medical Home Buffer the Association between Child Poverty and Poor Health?

To evaluate effects of the medical home on health status and health care use among children living in poverty compared with children not living in poverty. Data from the 2016-2017 National Survey of Children's Health were used to examine the associations of having a medical home with health outcomes of interest, among children living in poverty and among children not living in poverty. Among 69,039 children ages 0-17 years, children living in poverty had lower medical home access (31%) compared with those not living in poverty (50%). Medical home access was favorably associated with health outcomes, but the strength of these association did not vary according to poverty status. Notwithstanding the efficacy of the medical home at promoting child health, children living in poverty did not have greater health benefits associated with medical home access compared with children not living in poverty.

Picky eating behavior and its association with health status among school-age children in Wuhan

Objective To investigate the picky eating behavior among school-age children and to analyze its association with their health status, providing scientific basis for health promotion of school-age children in China. Methods A total of 796 students of grade 3 to grade 6 from two primary schools in Hongshan, Wuhan were selected through cluster sampling. Statistical analysis was conducted according to the results of the 3-day food record and questionnaire survey on children and their caregivers. Results In the current study, 40.58% of the children had picky eating problems, the incidence of picky eating behaviors of migrant children was higher than that of local children (χ 2 = 3.92, P <0.05). Most of the picky eaters (23.87%) tended to reject vegetables. Compared to the others, picky eaters had lower intake of vitamin B 2 [(0.49±0.01) (0.46±0.01) mg] and vitamin C [(57.35±0.76)(54.32±0.90) mg] ( t = 2.03, 2.57, P <0.05) and had a higher risk of stunting ( OR = 1.42, P <0.05). Conclusion Picky eating behaviors are common among school-age children, which is significantly associated with stunting. Nutritional education for children (especially migrant children) are urgently needed to improve their dietary structure and promote healthy growth and development. 【摘要】 目的 调查学龄儿童挑食状况及其与健康状况的关系, 为中国学龄儿童的健康促进工作提供科学依据。 方法 采用整群抽样法, 抽取武汉市洪山区2所小学三至六年级的796名学生, 开展为期3d的膳食调查, 同时对儿童及其看护 人进行营养问卷调查, 根据调查结果进行分析。 结果 40.58%的儿童存在挑食问题, 流动儿童与本地儿童间挑食行为报 告率差异有统计学意义 (χ 2 = 3.92, P <0.05), 拒绝蔬菜类食物的儿童最多 (23.87%)。与非挑食者[(0.49±0.01) (57.35± 0.76)mg]相比, 挑食者[(0.46±0.01)(54.32±0.90)mg]维生素 B 2 和维生素C的每天摄人量较低 ( t 值分别为 2.03,2.57, P 值均<0.05), 且挑食者身高发育生长迟缓的发生风险比非挑食者更高 ( OR =1.42, P <0.05)。 结论 挑食行为普遍存在于学 龄儿童中, 且与儿童身高发育迟缓显著相关。亟需针对儿童(特别是流动儿童) 的营养教育活动, 改善中国儿童膳食结构, 促进健康成长。

Impact of covid 19 pandemic on knowledge, practice and mental health of breastfeeding women: experience of souissi maternity hospital of Rabat, Morocco

In Morocco, the promotion of maternal and child health is an important axis of the strategy to fight against the repercussions of the covid-19 pandemic. We aim to explore knowledge, practices and mental health of breastfeeding mothers. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the maternity hospital center in Rabat. The data has been collected through a face-to-face interview with mothers. Information regarding mental health were collected using the questionnaire of the post-traumatic stress disorder. Analysis showed that three quarters of mothers were unaware of transmission of the virus through the fetal route and through breastfeeding. This ignorance was significantly high among illiterate mothers compared to educated women (p &lt;0.001). Analysis of practices showed that early breastfeeding, practice skin-to-skin, use of a facemask and compliance with respiratory hygiene rules during breastfeeding were found only in 53.4%, 43.1%, 38.3% and 42.2% of mothers respectively. Psychological disorder concerned 45.7% of mothers and was significantly associated with place of residence (p &lt;0.001), educational level (p &lt;0.001), profession (p &lt;0.001) and monthly expenditure (p = 0.019). This study can be used to evaluate the national Covid 19 pandemic monitoring and response plan and highlights the importance of mental health care for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Отдельные аспекты политики в области психического благополучия детей и подростков и польское образовательное право

Introduction: the article deals with policy in the field of mental well-being of children and adolescents in Poland. Special attention is paid to the country’s educational law and the tasks that face the entities constituting the Polish educational system in terms of taking effective measures to protect mental health of children and adolescents, including health promotion, prevention of mental disorders and the provision of care for people with mental aberration. Purpose: the article aims to identify and discuss some aspects of policy on mental well-being of children and adolescents in Poland. Methods: the complex and interdisciplinary nature of the issue in question determined the methodological framework of the study. The authors employ methods traditionally used in research on public policies, such as political analyses of processes, methods used by researchers in the field of law, administration and economics. The main research tool in this study is the analysis of political public contexts which occur in the administration and enforcement of law. A functional system analysis is employed as an auxiliary tool. Results: despite the fact that the discussion on maintaining the mental well-being of children and adolescents has been taking place for many years, and that the educational law system and health policy, including its elements related to mental health, cover many aspects being of fundamental significance to the issue in question, practice shows that that there are still systemic and institutional deficiencies in this field. Conclusions: mental health promotion and mental disorder prevention in children and adolescents cannot be treated as separate activities, but they require a holistic, systemic, and hence horizontal approach. These activities must be integrated into a unified prevention policy at all decision-making and operational (executive) levels.

Lessons on health promotion from Japanese early childhood development.

Early childhood development (ECD) has received increasing attention in both developed and developing countries since the 1990s. In Japan, ECD facilities have pursued integrated practices of education and health care to provide appropriate services to promote children's welfare. This ECD approach appears to embody objectives of health promotion in young children. Therefore, information about Japanese practices may help to support ECD in other countries, especially developing countries. In this context, the present study discussed the potential application of health-related ECD practices in Japan for developing countries by reviewing an outline of Japanese ECD, along with a case study describing practices in ECD facilities in Japan. We identified four main points: (i) distinct legal grounds including a legal basis for allocating health specialists; (ii) outlines of activities based on national standards and flexible practices at the facility level; (iii) teachers' attitudes that respect children's initiative, and explicit and independent activities embedded in children's daily lives that reflect the child's developmental status; and (iv) various useful practices to enhance the effect of health-related activities, such as cooperation with parents, lesson study and hoiku- (teachers) conference. As these practices are based on the Japanese context, it is essential to consider both the Japanese context and potential risks of transplanting such concepts, to enable optimum use of these lessons in other countries.

A FOUNDATION AS A LEGAL INSTITUTION UNDER POLISH LAW

Introduction: the article deals with policy in the field of mental well-being of children and adolescents in Poland. Special attention is paid to the country’s educational law and the tasks that face the entities constituting the Polish educational system in terms of taking effective measures to protect mental health of children and adolescents, including health promotion, prevention of mental disorders and the provision of care for people with mental aberration. Purpose: the article aims to identify and discuss some aspects of policy on mental wellbeing of children and adolescents in Poland. Methods: the complex and interdisciplinary nature of the issue in question determined the methodological framework of the study. The authors employ methods traditionally used in research on public policies, such as political analyses of processes, methods used by researchers in the field of law, administration and economics. The main research tool in this study is the analysis of political public contexts which occur in the administration and enforcement of law. A functional system analysis is employed as an auxiliary tool. Results: despite the fact that the discussion on maintaining the mental well-being of children and adolescents has been taking place for many years, and that the educational law system and health policy, including its elements related to mental health, cover many aspects being of fundamental significance to the issue in question, practice shows that that there are still systemic and institutional deficiencies in this field. Conclusions: mental health promotion and mental disorder prevention in children and adolescents cannot be treated as separate activities, but they require a holistic, systemic, and hence horizontal approach. These activities must be integrated into a unified prevention policy at all decisionmaking and operational (executive)levels.

COVID-19 and Primary Measles Vaccination Rates in a Large Primary Care Network.

* Abbreviations: COVID-19 — : coronavirus disease 2019 MMR — : measles-mumps-rubella One dose of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine confers ≥93% protection against measles.1 In 2017, nearly 10% of children aged 19 to 35 months in the United States had not received the first dose of the MMR vaccine.2 The vaccination rate was lower among those who were uninsured or Medicaid enrolled compared with those with private insurance and among Black children compared with white children.2 In May 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a precipitous drop in vaccination within one state after the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic began.3 Lower MMR vaccination rates raise serious concerns about a possible measles resurgence3 in the United States because of the high level of herd immunity needed to prevent community transmission.1 We evaluated changes in measles vaccination rates from the pandemic start when clinic access and attendance decreased to the period in which return for clinical care was encouraged. The Nationwide Children’s Hospital pediatric primary care network includes 12 clinic sites in Columbus, Ohio, providing care for >90 000 children and adolescents, most of whom are Medicaid enrolled and belong to a racial or ethnic minority group. The primary study outcome was … Address correspondence to Sara Bode, MD, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 700 Children’s Dr, LAC5609, Columbus, OH 43205-2664. E-mail: sara.bode{at}nationwidechildrens.org

Low-volume high-intensity interval training for children with obesity: a commentary

Obesity is the most common chronic disease in childhood, and is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) later in life. Being obese is inversely associated with physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in children. Increased CRF may negate the detrimental effects of obesity-associated risk factors for CVD, while poor CRF has been associated with increased arterial stiffness and higher levels of blood inflammatory markers. The use of time efficient high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to reduce CVD risk factors and body mass, improve CRF and other health parameters has become popular during the last years in adults with obesity. However, a relatively few studies have investigated the effect of HIIT on body composition, CRF and cardiometabolic biomarkers in children with obesity. It is expected that low-volume HIIT programs are feasable for community-based body mass reduction and health promotion in children with obesity.

Prevalence and factors associated with the use of drugs of abuse by pregnant women

Abstract Objectives: to estimate the prevalence of drug abuse in pregnant women and to associate with the variables education, family income, race and number of pregnancies. Methods: descriptive, cross-sectional, quantitative research. Developed in the municipality of Bandeirantes-PR, from June 2016 to December 2017. The population was 114 pregnant women and the dependent variables were alcohol / tobacco use and illicit drugs and the independent variables were education, race, family income and number of pregnancies. The analysis was the comparison between the variables and Microsoft Excel 2007 and SPSS 20.0 was used. It was approved by the Ethics Committee. Results: the use of drugs of abuse during pregnancy was 19.2%, presenting as a sociodemographic profile characterization the age between 19 to 29 years, predominance of nonwhite race, with study time ≤ 9 years, with income from 1 to 2 minimum wages and multiparous women. The most commonly used drug of abuse was alcohol, followed by tobacco. Concomitant use between drugs was significant with alcohol and tobacco / illicit drugs and tobacco. Conclusions: drug use had a prevalence of 19.2% and acts in conjunction with social issues and this case, intervening is necessary with an individualized care plan, thus ensuring the promotion and prevention of maternal and child health.

Woman, Mother, Wet Nurse: Engine of Child Health Promotion in the Spanish Monarchy (1850-1910).

In Spain, the wet nurse increased the survival of children through care and breastfeeding of other women’s children. They had a great development together with the Spanish monarchy between 1850 and 1910. The aim is to identify the role of wet nurses in the Spanish monarchy and the survival of the royal infants (s. XIX–XX). A scoping review is presented to study documents about the wet nurse in the Spanish monarchy. Applying the dialectical structural model of care (DSMC). Recognizing five thematic blocks that shape the historical-cultural model. Books, decrees and databases were analyzed: Scopus, Scielo, Dialnet, Cuiden, Medline/Pubmed, CINAHL, Science Direct and Google Scholar, from January to July 2020. The selection process was rigorous because it was difficult to choose. They had to overcome medical and moral exams. The selected rural northern wet nurses emigrated to Madrid. The contract was regulated by laws and paid. Wet nurses were hired by the monarchy due to health problems of the biological mother and a need for greater offspring. The wet nurse wore a typical costume, a symbol of wealth. The northern wet nurses hired by the monarchists have been the engine that has promoted the health of infants through the breastfeeding process.

Promoting Breastfeeding and Interaction of Pediatric Associations With Providers of Nutritional Products.

Pediatric associations have been urged not to interact with and not to accept support from commercial providers of breast milk substitutes (BMSs), based on the assumption that such interaction would lead to diminished promotion and support of breastfeeding. The leadership of seven European pediatric learned societies reviewed the issue and share their position and policy conclusions here. We consider breastfeeding as the best way of infant feeding and strongly encourage its active promotion, protection, and support. We support the World Health Organization (WHO) Code of Marketing of BMSs. Infant formula and follow-on formula for older infants should not be advertised to families or the public, to avoid undermining breastfeeding. With consistently restricted marketing of BMSs, families need counseling on infant feeding choices by well-informed pediatricians. Current and trustworthy information is shared through congresses and other medical education directed and supervised by independent pediatric organizations or public bodies. Financial support from commercial organizations for congresses, educational, and scientific activities of pediatric organizations is an acceptable option if scientific, ethical, societal, and legal standards are followed; any influence of commercial organizations on the program is excluded, and transparency is ensured. Public–private research collaborations for improving and evaluating pharmaceuticals, vaccines, medical devices, dietetic products, and other products and services for children are actively encouraged, provided they are guided by the goal of enhancing child health and are performed following established high standards. We support increasing investment of public funding for research aiming at promoting child health, as well as for medical education.

Health promotion competencies for promoting child-oral health: Victorian multidisciplinary workforce perspectives.

Population oral health (OH) improvements depend on successful, coordinated execution of oral health promotion (OHP) programs by both oral and general health professionals with key competencies (skills, abilities, knowledge and values). This study explored multidisciplinary professionals' perspectives of the competencies required for the successful implementation of a community-based OHP program called Smiles 4 Miles (S4M) in early childhood settings in Victoria, Australia. Convenience sampling was used to recruit multidisciplinary professionals working in the S4M early childhood health promotion program in Victoria. Semi-structured focus groups were conducted with program managers/coordinators (n=26) from 21 S4M sites and the state-wide program coordination team (n=5). Focus groups explored OHP competency needs, capacity to promote child OH and strategies for enhancing OHP competencies. The competencies identified through focus groups were then compared to the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) competencies framework. Strategies to enhance individual and organisational OHP competencies included intersectoral collaborations; working in multidisciplinary teams; support networks and partnerships; sharing skills and expertise between health professionals. The OHP competencies identified by the participants were consistent with key IUHPE domains including ethical values and health promotion knowledge base underpinning, enabling change, advocacy for health, mediating through partnerships, communication, leadership, assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation and research. A multidisciplinary workforce based in community settings can play key and complementary roles in OHP and widen avenues for oral disease prevention. SO WHAT?: Integrated collaborative workforce models involving multidisciplinary professionals beyond the OH sector can more effectively support efforts to address the burden of oral disease.

Mental Health Literacy: A Strategy for Global Adolescent Mental Health Promotion

Background: Adolescence is defined by key transitional elements which are considered within a cross-cultural context. The importance of building mental health capacity for adolescents in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) as well as high-income countries (HICs) is reviewed. Objectives: To review the developmental period of adolescence, global needs for mental health promotion, the needs of LMICs while emphasizing building adolescent mental health capacity, and the importance of efforts to promote mental health literacy. Methods: Mental health literacy (MHL) is presented as a strategy that can increase public awareness regarding mental health issues among adolescents. Increased awareness through an MHL framework is discussed as a way to build adolescent mental health capacity; with this work ideally occurring through global communities of practice (COP), dialogue, collaboration, and mutual support that aim to build innovation in systems of mental health promotion. Results: The authors review structural components in research, practice, and policy that seek to build global adolescent mental health capacity, nested within COPs involving HICs and LMICs working together to advance mental health promotion for children, adolescents, and young people. Conclusion: The article concludes with a discussion of how the three structural components (i.e., research, practice, and policy) can address gaps in the provision of global mental health services for adolescents to meet adolescent mental health needs in LMICs and HICs. A multi-sectoral approach emphasizing a global COP is presented as a way to scale up capacity and maximize outcomes.

Children Health Promotion during COVID-19 Spread

Children Health Promotion during COVID-19 Spread