Policy Priorities Research Articles

Burden of disease attributable to high body mass index in Belgium: a comparative risk assessment analysis

Background and methodsHigh body mass index (BMI) is a major risk factor for several non-communicable diseases. The increasing concern about the health and economic burden of BMI makes it essential...

Environmental Management and Public Budget: An Analysis of Public Expenditure Budgeted and Executed to Achieve Environmental Protection

Purpose: This study aims to analyze the implementation of the right to an ecologically balanced environment with a focus on environmental management and the public budget. Methodology: The bibliographic and documentary methodological approach allowed the comparison of budget values ​​by function and the descriptive analysis based on data collected from the official website of the state government. Results: The study of budget execution for the environmental function demonstrated that its procedures appear to be aligned, in general, with its planning. However, when compared to the participation of the environmental function in the general budget of the State, the amounts do not exceed 1% in any of the years of this study, and expenditures on general administration occupied a large portion of the budget planned and executed in the period. Therefore, the implementation of the right to an ecologically balanced environment is not considered a priority of public policies in Amazonas. Contributions: The analysis of the budgeted and executed values ​​in relation to the environmental management function in the State of Amazonas, which has the largest hydrographic basin and the largest coverage of humid tropical forest, in the period from 2020 to 2023, contributes to the academic discussion by identifying how state investments behave in relation to spending on environmental preservation and management.

ФІНАНСОВІ ІНСТРУМЕНТИ ЯК ВАЖЛИВА ДОМІНАНТА ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ІНКЛЮЗИВНОГО РОЗВИТКУ ТЕРИТОРІАЛЬНИХ ГРОМАД

Introduction. In the context of the latest transformational challenges, the problem of ensuring inclusive development of territorial communities is becoming increasingly relevant, and it is advisable to develop innovative approaches to the use of financial instruments in managing socio-economic development at the local level. The purpose of the article is to develop the conceptual framework for the use of financial instruments by public authorities as a means of management to ensure the inclusive development of territorial communities. Methods. The methodology of the study is based on the use of dialectical and process approaches, methods of induction and deduction, analysis and synthesis - when considering the content and specification of the essence of the concept of “inclusive development of territorial communities” and determining the imperative of this type of socio-economic development; structural and functional approach and methods of theoretical generalization, scientific abstraction, systematization, argumentation - to develop a conceptual model of the use of financial instruments as a dominant factor in ensuring inclusive development of territorial communities. Results. Based on the generalization of scientific views and the use of the process approach, the author's own definition of the concept of “inclusive development of territorial communities” is formed. The study of the key aspects of the concepts of inclusive development, barrier-free, integrated and sustainable development, and current global challenges and threats made it possible to outline the imperatives of inclusive development of territorial communities that should be taken into account by public authorities when choosing financial instruments. The use of the structural-functional approach made it possible to consider financial instruments for the inclusive development of territorial communities as a means of managing socio-economic phenomena and processes, which result in the implementation of the principles of financial policy aimed at the inclusive development of territorial communities. The article reveals the dualistic nature of the impact of financial instruments for inclusive development of territorial communities on the object of management from the standpoint of their provisioning, allocative and regulatory effects. Conclusions. Financial instruments are an important dominant of the inclusive development of territorial communities. It is through the dualistic nature of their impact on the object of management, taking into account the imperative of inclusive development, the priorities of the State regional policy and strategies for the development of territorial communities, that the goal of managing socio-economic development at the local level is achieved.

Networks of climate obstruction: Discourses of denial and delay in US fossil energy, plastic, and agrichemical industries

The use of fossil-derived hydrocarbons in fossil energy, plastic production, and agriculture makes these three sectors mutually reinforcing and reliant on sustained fossil fuel extraction. In this paper, we examine the ways the fossil fuel energy, plastics, and agrichemicals industries interact on social media using Twitter (renamed X as of 2023) data analysis, and we explore the implications of these interactions for policy. Content analysis of the text of tweets from the two largest US corporations and a major trade association for each sector (three discrete social media accounts for each sector) reveals coordinated messaging and identifies synergistic themes among these three sectors. Network analysis shows substantial engagement among the three sectors and identifies common external entities frequently mentioned in each sector. To understand the discursive strategies of the twitter networks of these three petrochemical derivative and fuel sectors, we propose the discourses of climate obstruction framework, adapted from and expanding on Lamb et al.’s (2020) discourses of climate delay framework. Our framework integrates both discourses of delay and discourses of denial because an integration of both were found in our analysis suggesting coordinated efforts to obstruct climate action. Our analysis suggests that discourses to deny and delay climate policy are aligned and coordinated across the three sectors to reinforce existing infrastructure and inhibit change. Exceptions in this alignment emerge for a few distinct sector-specific goals, including contrasting messages about biofuel. Despite some disparate views and different policy priorities among these three sectors, similar efforts to reinforce existing extractive petrochemical hegemony and undermine climate policy are clearly evident in each sector. These findings suggest that more research is needed to understand collaborative efforts among fossil energy, plastic, and agrichemical producers to influence climate and energy policy.

Priorities for Research, Education, Clinical Practice, and Policy From the Long COVID Physio International Forum

Purpose: Long COVID Physio (LCP) is an international peer support, education and advocacy, patient-led association of physiotherapists living with long COVID and allies. In 2022, LCP hosted an international forum. One of the aims of the forum was to identify priorities in long COVID and rehabilitation. Methods: We conducted an international consultation on priorities for long COVID and rehabilitation with people living with long COVID, clinicians, researchers, and other key interest-holders (referred to collectively as “consultants”) who registered for and attended the LCP International Forum. We collected feedback from consultants using web-based questionnaires, the Zoom chat from the forum, and posts on an online platform during the forum. We analyzed data using group-based content analytical techniques. Priorities were organized into 4 categories: research, practice, education, and policy. Results: There were 794 respondents for the consultation representing 34 countries, including 47% (n = 376) living with long COVID. Seventeen priorities for long COVID overlapped and spanned research (epidemiology, socioeconomics, pathophysiology, characterizing disability, health equity, establishing diagnostic criteria, intervention studies), education (for people living with long COVID, employers, policy makers, and health care professional students), clinical practice (safety, person-centered approaches), and policy (accessibility of care, supports for people living with long COVID and caregivers, public health messaging). Priorities were focused on long COVID and rehabilitation, but some extended beyond the scope of rehabilitation (eg, pharmacological interventions). Conclusions: These priorities can help to guide research, clinical practice, education, and policy, to advance health outcomes for people living with long COVID.

How Does the World Bank Influence the Development Policy Priorities of Low-Income and Lower-Middle Income Countries?

How does the World Bank’s use of lending and non-lending instruments affect the policy priorities of developing countries? We consider how certain forms of external assistance can shape the incentives of political leaders and the ideational environment within which they work in ways that promote reform. With new data on the delivery of analytical and advisory products and micro-level survey data from 1244 public sector officials in 121 developing countries, we find a consistently positive but not statistically significant association between the World Bank’s delivery of “Economic and Sector Work” products and the degree to which public sector officials perceive the multilateral institution to be effective in shaping the direction of government policy. We do not find a detectable effect of economic and sector work on the perceived utility of the World Bank’s advice or engagement during policy reform implementation. Nor do we find any evidence that the World Bank’s development policy lending consistently affects its perceived influence on the direction, design, or implementation of government policy. These findings have important implications for understanding both the effectiveness of development assistance and the conditions under which international institutions can influence the policy priorities of developing countries.

Income, education, and policy priorities

Abstract Are people's priorities associated with their income and education levels? There is a long history in political science of claims that priorities are driven by economic interests, but also that low-income and low-education people fail to prioritize their economic interests. In this paper we use measures of revealed importance from [Sides J, Tausanovitch C and Vavreck L (2023) The Bitter End: The 2020 Presidential Campaign and the hallenge to American Democracy. Princeton University Press.] to evaluate the priorities of high- and low-income/education voters with respect to 44 different policies. It is well known that there are substantial differences in the preferences of people with lower incomes or education levels and people with higher incomes or education levels, but conditional on preferences we find very small differences among education and income groups in terms of priorities. Like high-income and high-education voters, lower-income and education voters care most about the major issues of the day. They do not care systematically more or less than other voters about policies that expand social welfare, redistribution, or labor rights.

Considering Sex/Gender-Based Violence as a Form of Hate: The Invisibility of Sex and Gender.

Globally, there is no shortage of examples demonstrating lethal and non-lethal violence motivated, at least in part, by a hatred of women and girls because of their sex or gender. Such violence is not a new phenomenon. Despite this, there remains little consideration of sex/gender-based violence (S/GBV) motivated by hatred in the hate/bias crime literature, including a recent comprehensive review published in this journal. Drawing from a comprehensive scoping review of international literature, this article discusses why this might be the case, identifying both the benefits and challenges of treating sex/gender-motivated violence as a form of hate. The review examined primarily legal- and case-based analyses, grey literature, and some empirically based research articles, both qualitative and quantitative, the latter of which largely had only a peripheral focus on the question posed-the consideration or recognition of sex/gender-motivated hate that leads to violence. Themes surrounding benefits and challenges of doing so were identified. Among the findings was that, while there are valid arguments for and against the inclusion of, or emphasis on, S/GBV as a form of hate, what is largely absent from the body of literature is systematic, empirically based evidence examining the validity of the arguments identified, particularly in recent years. The article concludes by highlighting four broad research and policy priorities which can further (or arguably begin) the conversation about the role of hate in S/GBV.

Legal Policy of Modern Russia in the Sphere of Patriotic Upbringing: Content and Key Prioritie

Introduction. One of the significant features of the mechanism of legal regulation in the 21st century is the inclusion of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values, one of which is patriotism, in the object field of legal regulation. Despite the very convincing grounds for this, the state, and, consequently, legal strategy in the sphere of preserving and strengthening traditional spiritual and moral values and patriotic upbringing, in particular, needs both conceptualization and systematization.Materials and methods. The presented study used both general scientific and specific scientific methods of cognition of the legal life of modern Russian society, among which we can highlight dialectical, structural-functional, systemic, formal-dogmatic, legal modeling, etc.The results of the study. The paper offers the author's vision of the essence and content of legal policy in the sphere of patriotic upbringing, demonstrates its significant potential in creating an effective mechanism for legal regulation of relations related to the formation of love and respect for the Motherland, a sense of loyalty to it, readiness to protect its interests and contribute to the strengthening and prosperity of the state. The key priorities of legal policy in the sphere of patriotic upbringing are formulated taking into account the challenges and threats that are relevant to Russia.Discussion and conclusion. The study substantiates the position that legal policy, being a strategic, systemic, multi-subject and scientifically substantiated activity in the field of law, allows not only to unite the efforts of both public authorities and civil society institutions in the creation and implementation of conditions for patriotic upbringing, but also to integrate into a single, comprehensive legal strategy law-making, law-implementation, law-interpretation, educational and other activities in the field of patriotic upbringing due to the fact that these areas of activity act as forms of implementation of the legal policy itself.

Back to the future? Reflections from 25 years of empirical research on Leaving Certificate assessment in Ireland

Back to the future? Reflections from 25 years of empirical research on Leaving Certificate assessment in Ireland

Exploring the Role of Location-Based Games in Managing Tourist Destinations Under Climate Change Challenges: A Gap Analysis Review

Global climate disruptions pose escalating threats to tourism networks, necessitating innovative resilience solutions tailored for regional interdependencies. This review examines research on location-based games for enhancing climate resilience across interconnected tourism economies. Analyzing 75 studies, strengths and limitations are delineated. While confirming augmented reality, virtual reality, and geo-tagging versatility for promotion, analysis, and experience enhancement, findings reveal gaps in leveraging these technologies for systemic coordination, participatory governance, embodied vulnerability assessment, and social learning. Immersive climate visualizations, policy simulations, and multiplayer interfaces emerge as frontiers enabling collaborative adaptation. The top priorities are (1) integrating localized climate projections with human perceptions through interactive visualizations to create tangible threats, (2) designing policy simulations for participatory governance of resilience investments across sectors, (3) developing embodied social learning vulnerability assessments highlighting differential exposures, and (4) designing multiplayer games to facilitate the co-creation of equitable, robust adaptation strategies by communities. Targeted research advancing location-based platforms to link science, policy, and community priorities is essential for tourism networks to navigate intensifying climate disruptions collaboratively. This review thus delineates critical next steps in utilizing geo-technologies’ participatory, experiential promise to inform and connect stakeholders in steering tourism toward resilient pathways.

Insights of SEDRIC, the Surveillance and Epidemiology of Drug-Resistant Infections Consortium

The increasing threat from infection with drug-resistant pathogens is among the most serious public health challenges of our time. Formed by Wellcome in 2018, the Surveillance and Epidemiology of Drug-Resistant Infections Consortium (SEDRIC) is an international think tank whose aim is to inform policy and change the way countries track, share, and analyse data relating to drug-resistant infections, by defining knowledge gaps and identifying barriers to the delivery of global surveillance. SEDRIC delivers its aims through discussions and analyses by world-leading scientists that result in recommendations and advocacy to Wellcome and others. As a result, SEDRIC has made key contributions in furthering global and national actions. Here, we look back at the work of the consortium between 2018-2024, highlighting notable successes. We provide specific examples where technical analyses and recommendations have helped to inform policy and funding priorities that will have real-world impact on the surveillance and epidemiology of infections with drug-resistant pathogens.

Use of Maternal-Fetal Medicine Subspecialist Services by Commercially Insured Pregnant People

Improving access to high-quality maternity care and reducing maternal morbidity and mortality are major policy priorities in the US. Previous research has primarily focused on access to general obstetric care rather than access to high-risk pregnancy care provided by maternal-fetal medicine subspecialists (MFMs). To measure access to MFM services and determine patient factors associated with MFM service use, including MFM telemedicine. This cohort study identified pregnancies in commercial health insurance claims from the Health Care Cost Institute from 2016 to 2021. More than 2.1 million pregnancies were included, where age at delivery was 18 years or greater and people were continuously enrolled for the duration of their pregnancy. The association of patient and pregnancy covariates with MFM involvement in care was analyzed using logistic regression; and rates of telemedicine for pregnancies in urban and rural areas were reported over time. Data were analyzed from June 2022 to March 2024. Primary study outcomes included whether a pregnancy ever had a service from an MFM, the type of MFM services provided, and whether MFM care occurred via telemedicine. There were 2 169 026 pregnancies among 1 968 091 unique people (1 325 212 [61.2%] aged 25 to 34 years). Among 1 625 237 pregnancies at risk for conditions that might require MFM involvement, 838 493 (51.6%) had an MFM service. Rates of MFM involvement in care varied considerably by geography, with pregnancies in rural areas having lower use than urban areas. Use of telemedicine-enabled MFM care increased in 2020 and 2021 but remained low: in 2021, 2.7% of urban pregnancies (7535 of 276 599) and 1.7% of rural pregnancies (550 of 32 949) received telemedicine-enabled MFM care. In this cohort study, access to MFM services varied across geography, even among pregnancies at risk for conditions that might require MFM involvement. These results suggested a need to improve access to MFM care for at-risk pregnancies and to further explore expanded access via telemedicine.

Understanding the Policy Priorities of Republican Women in the US House of Representatives

Abstract We take a deep dive into the sponsorship and cosponsorship activity of Republicans in the US House of Representatives from 1993–2014 to examine how ideology and gender influence the policy priorities of Republican legislators on issues associated with women, as well as on the party-owned issue of tax policy. We expect that Republican women are cross-pressured since assumptions about their policy expertise as women conflict with the policy reputation of the Republican Party. As a result, Republican women’s policy choices are impacted by their ideology in a way that is different from their male counterparts. Moreover, our analysis of which members’ bills move through the legislative process demonstrates that beyond their own policy preferences, women are strategic party actors. Thus, women are only more likely to see action on their women-focused and anti-abortion proposals, the two areas that define the partisan divide over women’s place in society.

Формирование языковой личности сотрудника органов внутренних дел Российской Федерации

The modern image of a policeman in Russia seems to citizens to be fair and hardy, responsible and disciplined, polite and tactful, ready to help in any situation, i.e. a professional with a capital letter, capable of conducting a constructive dialogue and proficient in the norms and rules of the modern Russian literary language. One of the main indicators of the professionalism of police officers is the level of development of professional speech culture. What disciplines are studied at the Academy of Management of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia that contribute to the formation of a "linguistic personality" of an employee in continuing education, as well as necessary for improving professional and speech activities in conditions of obtaining additional qualifications, retraining and training in an adjunct course. The article discusses the issues of training managerial and scientific and pedagogical personnel in the leading educational organization of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation Academy of Management of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, the basis of which are such disciplines as practical rhetoric, Russian language and speech culture, psychology and pedagogy of higher education, cultural studies. Research methods: content analysis, analysis of work programs studied at the Academy of Management of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia disciplines, generalization of the results. Support of the Russian language and preservation of the culture of speech is one of the priorities of the state policy of the Russian Federation in 2024. In the Russian law enforcement system, the police occupies one of the key places, performing certain tasks and functions to protect the rights and interests of citizens from criminal encroachments and maintaining law and order in constant interaction with the population. The activity of an employee of the internal affairs bodies in the Russian Federation is aimed at obtaining a constructive dialogue with public authorities, organizations and institutions, public associations, with various categories of citizens, as well as with colleagues and subordinates, thus the possession of the word as a means of communication is one of the main criteria for the professional activity of a police officer.

A Critical Review of the Decarbonisation Potential in the U.K. Cement Industry

As urbanisation and infrastructure development continue to drive rising cement demand, the imperative to significantly reduce emissions from this emissions-intensive sector has become increasingly urgent, especially in the context of global climate goals such as achieving net zero emissions by 2050. This review examines the status, challenges and prospects of low-carbon cement technologies and mitigation strategies through the lens of the U.K. cement industry. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining structured literature searches across academic databases with analyses of industry reports, market data and technological roadmaps to ensure a comprehensive evaluation. Following an outline of cement production, resource flows and the sector’s landscape in the U.K., the review delves into an array of decarbonisation pathways. This includes deploying the best available technologies (BATs), fuel switching, carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS), clinker substitution and low-carbon cement formulations. A critical assessment is provided on the technological readiness, costs, resource availability considerations and scalability aspects governing the widespread implementation prospects of these approaches within the U.K. cement industry. Furthermore, this study proposes a roadmap that considers priority avenues and policy needs essential for facilitating the transition towards sustainable cement production aligned with the U.K.’s net zero obligations by 2050. This evaluation contributes significantly to the ongoing decarbonisation discourse by holistically mapping technological solutions and strategic imperatives tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities presented by the U.K. cement sector.

Estimating the epidemiological and economic impact of providing nutritional care for tuberculosis-affected households across India: a modelling study.

Approximately 20% of global tuberculosis incidence is attributable to undernutrition, increasing to more than a third in India. Targeting nutritional interventions to tuberculosis-affected households is a policy priority, but understanding of epidemiological and economic impacts is limited. We aimed to estimate the population-level epidemiological and economic effect of such an intervention. We used a previously published, age-stratified, compartmental transmission model of tuberculosis in India, and incorporated explicit BMI strata linked to disease progression and treatment outcomes. We used results from a recent trial of an intervention in which nutritional support in the form of food baskets was provided to people initiating tuberculosis treatment and to their household contacts (1200 kcal for patients and 750 kcal for contacts) to inform estimates of the impact and costs of nutritional support. We estimated the numbers of cases of tuberculosis disease and deaths due to tuberculosis disease that could be averted from 2023 to 2035 under the intervention scenario. Compared with a baseline with no nutritional intervention, at 50% coverage of adults on tuberculosis treatment and their households (around 23% of households affected by incident tuberculosis in India), providing the nutritional support intervention could prevent 361 200 (95% uncertainty interval 318 000-437 700) tuberculosis deaths and 880 700 (802 700-974 900) disease episodes from 2023 to 2035. This would be equivalent to averting approximately 4·6% (4·2-5·5) tuberculosis deaths and 2·2% (2·1-2·4) tuberculosis episodes. The additional health system cost would be US$1349 million (1221-1492), with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $167 (147-187) per disability-adjusted life-year averted. The median number of households needed to treat to prevent one tuberculosis death was 24·4 and to prevent one tuberculosis case was 10·0. A nutritional intervention for tuberculosis-affected households could avert a substantial amount of tuberculosis disease and death in India, and would be highly likely to be cost-effective on the basis of the tuberculosis-specific benefits alone. None. For the Bangla and Hindi translations of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mHealth adoption: Identification of the main barriers through an international comparative analysis.

The COVID-19 pandemic greatly challenged health systems worldwide. The adoption and application of mHealth technology emerged as a critical response. However, the permanent implementation and use of such technology faces several barriers, which vary by each country's innovation level and specific health policies. This study provides a detailed analysis of the transformations in mHealth service implementation within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study analyses the changes to mHealth service implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic. It seeks to identify the main uses of technology in mHealth, to assess their level of adoption, and to address any barriers found. It also aims to compare different countries to understand how factors such as geographical location and public health policies affect mHealth status worldwide. The survey tool was a revised version of the World Health Organization (WHO) 2015 Global Survey on eHealth, which had been updated to reflect the latest advances and policy priorities. The 2022 Survey on Digital Health in the WHO European Region was conducted by the WHO between April and October 2022 to gather information from the Member States of that region. This study shows that across the countries analysed, significant variations occurred in mHealth service adoption during the pandemic. Teleconsultation, access to patient information, and appointment reminders were the most implemented services, highlighting the importance of remote care during health crises. Regional differences were identified regarding barriers such as privacy and security and patient digital literacy, underscoring the need to address such shortcomings. These conclusions have important implications for stakeholders in the digital health sector and emphasise the need for collaboration to address the identified challenges.

Translational research in Australian mental health policy: a scoping review.

ObjectivesThe role of translational research in improving mental health care has been highlighted in federal policy; however, an examination of how and to what extent it has been articulated at this level has not been undertaken. The aim of this scoping review was to characterise translational research concepts in federal mental health policy.MethodsAustralian Government websites were searched for federal policy documents that made recommendations for mental health services in primary care and/or community settings. Thirty eligible documents were identified, corresponding with 25 policies. Data extraction was informed by a conceptual model of translational research involving: (1) barriers and enablers and (2) recommendations and priorities codes; each had evidence generation and evidence translation subcodes. Coded text excerpts were further categorised into topics based on content.ResultsIn total, 1951 references were coded, about three-quarters of which were 'recommendations and priorities'. More were related to evidence generation (total = 1163, 59.6%) than evidence translation (total = 788, 40.3%). Most were generic without specific recommendations for how translational research should be supported. Specific recommendations for evidence generation included the use of routine databases, lived experience involvement (e.g. co-design) and strategic responsibilities (e.g. funding, policy). Specific recommendations for evidence translation mostly referred to lived experience, quality improvement and strategic responsibilities.ConclusionWhile the value of translational research is broadly acknowledged, recommendations and priorities in federal policy should emphasise evidence translation with greater specificity about how translational research should be supported. This may further influence state policy and drive improvements in practice to improve mental health care.

Biofertilization increases soil organic carbon concentrations: results of a meta-analysis

ABSTRACT Protecting and building soil carbon has become a global policy priority, and novel agronomic fertilization practices may contribute to soil protection and climate-smart agriculture. The application of microbial inoculants (biofertilizers) is considered beneficial for soil and climate -smart agriculture. Therefore, an exhaustive meta-analysis of biofertilization studies was carried out worldwide to quantify the benefits of microbial inoculants on SOC concentration. Based on 59 studies and 267 observations, was found that biofertilizers significantly increased SOC concentration by an average of 0.44 g C kg−1 soil. All biofertilizer types were estimated to contribute positively to SOC (0.18–0.70 g C kg−1soil), but only cyanobacteria, mixtures of organisms, mycorrhizal fungi, and nitrogen fixers were statistically significant. In terms of crop type, results were significant and positive for cereals, fruits, legumes and root/tuber crops (0.44–0.82 g C kg−1soil). A significant positive linear relationship was observed between crop yield and SOC changes, supporting the notion that greater productivity helps explain SOC increases, accounting for 7% of the dataset variability. This study provides the first evidence from a global assessment that biofertilizer use is associated with an augmented terrestrial agricultural organic carbon sink contributing to soil protection and food security where climate-smart solutions are sought.