Public Health Information Campaigns Research Articles

REACHING YOUTH WITH RELIABLE INFORMATION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: “SOCIAL MEDIA FOR SURE”

As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, it is important to continue providing accurate updates and public health information to various target audiences. In support of such efforts, this study aims to understand how youth have accessed information about COVID-19 and to record their perspectives on how such information is best communicated. As part of a larger longitudinal study, 463 youth (M = 21.2 years, SD = 2.2) were surveyed about their sources of information on COVID-19, with qualitative questions regarding their perspectives on optimal public health communication strategies. A majority of youth reported using online sources to access information about COVID-19, including online news sources and social media. They used a diversity of such sources, with a preference those they regarded as reliable. Participants recommended that public health information campaigns be conducted on a variety of social media channels. Other digital campaigns were also recommended, while some suggested providing information through schools. Information should be brief, engaging, accessible, and frequently updated, using verified sources to ensure accuracy. We conclude that, to reach youth effectively, it is essential that accurate COVID-19 information and public health guidelines be disseminated in an engaging manner using digital means, particularly social media. Communication campaigns should be developed in partnership with youth in order to best reach this audience with the information they need.

Risk factors of tooth wear in permanent dentition: A scoping review.

Tooth wear (TW) prevalence is high and increasing and has important consequences on the patient's quality of life. Knowledge of risk factors is crucial to promote diagnosis, prevention strategies and timely interceptive treatment. Many studies have identified TW risk factors. This scoping review aims to map and describe suspected available factors associated with TW in permanent dentition based on quantitative measurement. The scoping review was conducted using the PRISMA extension of the Scoping Reviews checklist. The search was conducted in October 2022 from the Medline® (PubMed® interface) and Scopus® databases. Two independent reviewers selected and characterised the studies. 2702 articles were identified for assessment of titles and abstracts, and 273 articles were included in the review. The results show a need to standardise TW measurement indices and the study design. The included studies highlighted various factors, classified into nine domains: sociodemographic factors, medical history, drinking habits, eating habits, oral hygiene habits, dental factors, bruxism and temporomandibular disorders, behavioural factors, and stress. Results related to chemical TW (erosion) risk factors underline the importance of eating disorders, gastroesophageal reflux and lifestyle, particularly drinking and eating behaviours, which supports developing public health information campaigns and interventions. Besides chemical, this review identifies evidence of several mechanical TW risk factors, such as toothbrushing and bruxism; the influence of this last factor needs to be further explored. TW management and prevention require a multidisciplinary approach. Dentists are in the first line to detect associated diseases such as reflux or eating disorders. Consequently, practitioners' information and guideline diffusion should be promoted, and a TW risk factors checklist (the ToWeR checklist) is proposed to help diagnostic approaches.

Young women and elderly men at risk of severe faecal incontinence: results of a French nationwide database analysis

The incidence of severe faecal incontinence (FI) in young people is likely underestimated. The objective of this study is to assess the incidence of FI by using the French national insurance information system (SNDS). The SNDS was used, including 2 health insurance claims databases. The study included 49,097,454 French people who were ≥ 20years old in 2019. The main outcome measure was the occurrence of FI. In 2019, 123,630 patients out of the entire French population (n = 49097454) (0.25%) were treated for FI. The numbers of male and female patients were similar. The data showed a dramatic increase in the incidence of FI between the ages of 20 and 59 in female patients, compared to 60 and 79 in male patients.The risk of FI increased with age (OR of 3.6 to 11.3 depending on age). Women had a higher risk of severe FI compared to men between the ages of 20 and 39 (OR = 1.3; 95%CI:1.3-1.4) and the ages of 40 and 59 (OR = 1.1; 95%CI:1.08-1.13). This risk decreased after the age of 80 (OR = 0.96; 95%CI:0.93-0.99).The rate of diagnosis of FI also increased where there were greater numbers of proctologists practising in the region of residence in question (OR of 1.07 to 1.35 depending on the number of proctologists). Young women who have given birth and elderly men are at risk of FI and must be targeted by public health information campaigns. The development of coloproctology networks should be encouraged.

The lasting influence of Ebola: a qualitative study of community-level behaviors, trust, and perceptions three years after the 2014-16 Ebola epidemic in Liberia

The majority of disease transmission during the 2014-16 West Africa Ebola epidemic was driven by community-based behaviors that proved difficult to change in a social paradigm of misinformation, denial, and deep-seated distrust of government representatives and institutions. In Liberia, perceptions and beliefs about Ebola during and since the epidemic can provide insights useful to public health strategies aimed at improving community preparedness. In this 2018 study, we conducted nine focus groups with Liberians from three communities who experienced Ebola differently, to evaluate behaviors, attitudes, and trust during and after the epidemic. Focus group participants reported that some behaviors adopted during Ebola have persisted (e.g. handwashing and caretaking practices), while others have reverted (e.g. physical proximity and funeral customs); and reported ongoing distrust of the government and denial of the Ebola epidemic. These findings suggest that a lack of trust in the biomedical paradigm and government health institutions persists in Liberia. Future public health information campaigns may benefit from community engagement addressed at understanding beliefs and sources of trust and mistrust in the community to effect behavior change and improve community-level epidemic preparedness.

Preferred Information Source Correlates to COVID-19 Risk Misperception.

Inaccurate perceptions of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) risk may decrease compliance with public health mitigation practices, in turn increasing disease burden. The extent to which public perceptions of COVID-19 risk are inaccurate is not well studied. This study investigates the relationship between preferred information sources and inaccurate COVID-19 risk perception. A cross-sectional online survey of adults in the United States using online snowball techniques was administered between April 9, 2020 and July 12, 2020. Raking techniques were used to generate a representative U.S. sample from 10,650 respondents. Respondents who did not provide an answer to key questions were excluded. The remaining sample included 1,785 health care workers (HCW) and 4,843 non-HCW. Subjective risk was measured as the product of perceived likelihood of COVID-19 infection and perceived harm from infection. Objective risk was measured as a function of the presence of known COVID-19 risk factors. Discrepancies between subjective and objective risk were compared between respondents with different preferred information sources. Chi Square contingency tables and pair-wise correlation were used to evaluate differences to 95% confidence. For HCW and non-HCW, the greatest overestimation of personal COVID-19 risk assessment (p < .05 for all differences) were found in those whose preferred source of information was social media (HCW: 62.1%; non-HCW: 64.5%), followed by internet news sources (HCW: 59.6%, non-HCW%: 59.1%), government websites (HCW: 54%, non-HCW = 51.8%), other sources (HCW: 50.7%, non-HCW = 51.4%), and television news (HCW: 46.1%, non-HCW: 47.6%). Preferred information sources correlate with inaccuracies in personal COVID-19 risk assessment. Public health information campaigns should consider targeting groups whose preferred information sources correlate to higher inaccuracies in COVID-19 risk perceptions. [HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2023;7(2):e105-e110.].

Vaccination games and imitation dynamics with memory

In this paper, we model dynamics of pediatric vaccination as an imitation game, in which the rate of switching of vaccination strategies is proportional to perceived payoff gain that consists of the difference between perceived risk of infection and perceived risk of vaccine side effects. To account for the fact that vaccine side effects may affect people's perceptions of vaccine safety for some period of time, we use a delay distribution to represent how memory of past side effects influences current perception of risk. We find disease-free, pure vaccinator, and endemic equilibria and obtain conditions for their stability in terms of system parameters and characteristics of a delay distribution. Numerical bifurcation analysis illustrates how stability of the endemic steady state varies with the imitation rate and the mean time delay, and this shows that it is not just the mean duration of memory of past side effects, but also the actual distribution that determines whether disease will be maintained in the population at some steady level, or if sustained periodic oscillations around this steady state will be observed. Numerical simulations illustrate a comparison of the dynamics for different mean delays and different distributions, and they show that even when periodic solutions are observed, there are differences in their amplitude and period for different distributions. We also investigate the effect of constant public health information campaigns on vaccination dynamics. The analysis suggests that the introduction of such campaigns acts as a stabilizing factor for endemic equilibrium, allowing it to remain stable for larger values of mean time delays.

Childhood Influenza Vaccination and Its Determinants during 2020-2021 Flu Seasons in China: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Young children aged 6−59 months are recommended as one of the priority groups for seasonal influenza vaccination in China. This study assessed influenza vaccination coverage and the factors associated with vaccination uptake among children in three Chinese provinces. In September 2021, 2081 caregivers with children <5 years completed self-administered questionnaires as part of a cross-sectional survey. Logistic regression was used to assess determinants of childhood influenza vaccination. A total of 43.63% of respondents reported vaccinating their children against influenza during the 2020−2021 flu season. Caregivers who lived in Anhui province, had a bachelor degree or above, and an annual household income <20,000 RMB were more likely to vaccinate their children against influenza. Confidence in the importance (OR: 2.50; 95%CI: 1.77−3.54), safety (OR: 1.60; 95%CI: 1.29−1.99), and effectiveness (OR: 1.54; 95%CI: 1.23−1.93) of influenza vaccine was significantly associated with childhood vaccine acceptance. Respondents who saw that other caregivers were vaccinating their children had significantly higher odds of vaccinating their own children. Caregivers’ receiving positive influence from healthcare workers (OR: 1.33; 95%CI: 1.00−1.77), family members, or friends (OR: 1.30; 95%CI: 1.14−1.49) were also significantly associated with childhood influenza vaccination. Poor access, including conflicts between caregivers’ availability and vaccination service schedules and inconvenient transportation to the vaccination site were negatively associated with childhood flu vaccination. To promote childhood influenza vaccination, public health information campaigns need to target wealthier and less educated caregivers to enhance caregivers’ confidence in influenza vaccination. Targeted interventions are also needed to optimize access to vaccination services, including extending vaccination service hours and increasing the number of vaccination sites close to residential areas. Interventions are also needed to encourage primary care providers to play a greater role in promoting vaccination. Finally, the dissemination of related information and the public response need to be monitored for the timely understanding of public perceptions.

Vaccine-hesitant individuals accumulate additional COVID-19 risk due to divergent perception and behaviors related to SARS-CoV-2 testing: a population-based, cross-sectional study

PurposeTo investigate the perception of SARS-CoV-2 detection methods, information sources, and opinions on appropriate behavior after receiving negative or positive test results.MethodsIn a questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study conducted between September 1 and November 17, 2021, epidemiological, behavioral, and COVID-19-related data were acquired from the public in Munich, Germany.ResultsMost of the 1388 participants obtained information from online media (82.8%) as well as state and federal authorities (80.3%). 93.4% believed in the accuracy of SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing and 41.2% in the accuracy of rapid antigen tests (RATs). However, RATs were preferred for testing (59.1%) over PCR (51.1%). 24.0% of all individuals were willing to ignore hygiene measures and 76.9% were less afraid of SARS-CoV-2 transmission after receiving a negative PCR test (5.9% and 48.8% in case of a negative RAT). 28.8% reported not to self-isolate after receiving a positive RAT. Multivariate analyses revealed that non-vaccinated individuals relied less on information from governmental authorities (p = 0.0004) and more on social media (p = 0.0216), disbelieved in the accuracy of the PCR test (p ≤ 0.0001) while displaying strong preference towards using RATs (p ≤ 0.0001), were more willing to abandon pandemic-related hygiene measures (p ≤ 0.0001), less afraid of transmitting SARS-CoV-2 after a negative RAT (p ≤ 0.0001), and less likely to isolate after a positive RAT (p ≤ 0.0001).ConclusionInsights into preferred information sources as well as perception, preferences, and behavior related to SARS-CoV-2 testing and hygiene measures are key to refining public health information and surveillance campaigns. Non-vaccinated individuals’ divergent believes and behaviors possibly increase their COVID-19 risk.

Parents' Willingness to Vaccinate Children against COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate parents’ willingness to vaccinate their children under the age of 18 with a COVID-19 vaccine. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Saudi Arabia from January 2021 to March 2021. The univariate analysis using Mann–Whitney U-test, t-test, and chi-squared/Fisher’s exact test was performed to identify sociodemographic factors associated with the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine in children. Factors with statistical significance (p < 0.05) were analyzed using multivariate regression analysis to determine the variables affecting parents’ decisions to vaccinate children. Results: Overall, 44% (167) of parents reported that they would accept vaccinating their children with a COVID-19 vaccine. Young (86; 22.7%), married (135; 35.6%), and Saudi (114; 30%) parents seemed to be more concerned about their children being infected. Parents who intended to vaccinate themselves (OR: 0.599, 95% CI: 0.367–0.980) and who trust the healthcare system (OR: 0.527, 95% CI: 0.327–0.848) reported greater acceptance of children’s vaccination. Among parents, the most frequent (40.9%) reason for vaccinating children was to prevent infection in other family members. What may underlie this result is that some parents understand that children can carry pathogens from persons in school to thoseat home. The most frequent (22.2%) reason for refusing vaccination was concerns about the side effects of the vaccine. Conclusions: Parents have differing opinions on frequencies and risks of coronavirus disease transmission and medical complications and of effectiveness and adverse effects of a vaccine. These results could be of use in designing public health information campaigns and health promotion programs based on perceived parental behavior and positive attitudes.

Informing children citizens efficiently to better engage them in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the beginning of the year, the world’s attention has rightly been focused on the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the implementation of drastic mitigation strategies to limit disease transmission. However, public health information campaigns tailored to children are very rare. Now more than ever, at a time when some governments are taking populations out of lockdown and youth are returning to schools, children around the world need to fully grasp the modes of transmission of the disease, the health risks, the scientific notions of the immune system, the value of barrier measures, and the progress of scientific research. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, comics can be very useful for communicating quickly and effectively abstract and important information to children who might be under the influence of a large amount of sometimes contradictory information. Conveying precise, reliable, and accessible information to children is key in a world overwhelmingly impacted by the outbreak. This should be the role and the responsibility of world health official leaders and governments in compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. In partnership with mainstream medias, consortia of scientists, communication experts, and education specialists, it is urgent that world leaders engage children in this worldwide public health fight.

Toward Improving Interventions Against Toxoplasmosis by Identifying Routes of Transmission Using Sporozoite-specific Serological Tools.

BackgroundHorizontal transmission of Toxoplasma gondii occurs primarily via ingestion of environmental oocysts or consumption of undercooked/raw meat containing cyst-stage bradyzoites. The relative importance of these 2 transmission routes remains unclear. Oocyst infection can be distinguished from bradyzoite infection by identification of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against T. gondii embryogenesis-related protein (TgERP). These antibodies are, however, thought to persist for only 6–8 months in human sera, limiting the use of TgERP serology to only those patients recently exposed to T. gondii. Yet recent serological survey data indicate a more sustained persistence of anti-TgERP antibodies. Elucidating the duration of anti-TgERP IgG will help to determine whether TgERP serology has epidemiological utility for quantifying the relative importance of different routes of T. gondii transmission.MethodsWe developed a serocatalytic mathematical model to capture the change in seroprevalence of non-stage-specific IgG and anti-TgERP IgG antibodies with human age. The model was fitted to published datasets collected in an endemic region of Brazil to estimate the duration of anti-TgERP IgG antibodies, accounting for variable age–force of infection profiles and uncertainty in the diagnostic performance of TgERP serology.ResultsWe found that anti-TgERP IgG persists for substantially longer than previously recognized, with estimates ranging from 8.3 to 41.1 years. The Brazilian datasets were consistent with oocysts being the predominant transmission route in these settings.ConclusionsThe longer than previously recognized duration of anti-TgERP antibodies indicates that anti-TgERP serology could be a useful tool for delineating T. gondii transmission routes in human populations. TgERP serology may therefore be an important epidemiological tool for informing the design of tailored, setting-specific public health information campaigns and interventions.

Impact of Type and Timeliness of Public Health Policies on COVID-19 Epidemic Growth: Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) Member States, January – July 2020

Background: As of 21 September 2020, 31.1 million cases and more than 961.000 deaths from SARS-CoV-2 have been reported worldwide. In the absence of a treatment or vaccine and in the light of a possible second wave of infections, it is crucial to determine which policies are effective in controlling the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic. We estimated the effect of a comprehensive and systematic set of public health policies on the growth rate in the number of SARS-CoV-2 cases across the 37 member states of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for the period January 1 - July 1 2020.Methods: We conducted a longitudinal analysis using a multilevel growth model. The dependent variable was the average daily growth rate in weekly SARS-CoV-2 cases, the policy regressors were ordinal variables of the intensity of the following: school closing requirements, workplace closing requirements, public events cancelling requirements, restrictions on gatherings, public transport restrictions, stay at home requirements, restrictions on internal movement, international travel controls, public health information campaigns, mask wearing requirements, testing policy and contact tracing policy. We used both maximum likelihood and Bayesian estimation to fit the model.Findings: Restrictions on gatherings, mask wearing requirements, school closing requirements, work closing requirements and total number of tests per thousand population were, in that order, significant predictors of SARS-CoV-2 epidemic control.Interpretation: These findings provide evidence to support policy decision-making regarding which policies to maintain or (re-)initiate in order to control the current spread of the epidemic and any future surge of COVID-19.Funding Statement: None.Declaration of Interests: All of the co-authors of this paper declare that we have no competing interests.

Workshop: To regulate or not to regulate: that is still the question

Abstract Public health has always had a close relation with regulation. In the middle ages, the spread of infectious diseases was regulated by imposing a quarantine on travellers, this measure is still the first step to containment of an infectious disease. In the last century, public health regulation was also aimed at smoking, for instance implementing laws to ban smoking in public places (e.g restaurants). These regulations are very often combined with public health information campaigns on how to quit, the negative effects of smoking and passive smoking. In recent years, public health still calls for regulations now aiming at food, such as the fat tax, soda tax and sugar tax. Regulating for public health is a complex and sensitive issue. Sometimes it is used to solve public health’s failings at promoting a healthy lifestyle. For instance, the information campaigns to overcome obesity and invite people to eat healthily and exercise were not as successful as planned and the obesity epidemic remains an increasing problem. So, law kicked in and taxation policies to change dietary behaviours were introduced. Taxation policies, however, are controversial and widely discussed. The term ‘Nanny-State’ where the government is regarded as overprotective or as interfering unduly with personal choice, comes to mind and this has a negative impact on public health. The question remains: should we regulate for healthier behaviour or not. In this workshop, we are going to try answer this question. After two general presentations, we have 3 country examples of the relation between law/regulations and public health, followed by a discussion with the audience. Key messages Regulation can be one of the tools to promote public health. Careful consideration should be given before regulating for public health.

People trying to lose weight dislike calorie counting apps and want motivational support to help them achieve their goals

BackgroundTwo thirds of UK adults are overweight or obese and at increased risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. Basic public health support for weight loss comprises information about healthy eating and lifestyle, but internet and mobile applications (apps) create possibilities for providing long-term motivational support. AimsTo explore among people currently trying to lose weight, or maintaining weight loss, (i) problems, experiences and wishes in regards to weight management and weight loss support including e-health support; (ii) reactions to Functional Imagery Training (FIT) as a possible intervention. MethodSix focus groups (N=24 in total) were recruited from a public pool of people who had expressed an interest in helping with research. The topics considered were barriers to weight loss, desired support for weight loss and acceptability of FIT including the FIT app. The focus group discussions were transcribed and thematically analysed. ResultsAll groups spontaneously raised the issue of waning motivation and expressed the desire for motivational app support for losing weight and increasing physical activity. They disliked calorie counting apps and those that required lots of user input. All groups wanted behavioural elements such as setting and reviewing goals to be included, with the ability to personalise the app by adding picture reminders and choosing times for goal reminders. Participants were positive about FIT and FIT support materials. ConclusionThere is a mismatch between the help provided via public health information campaigns and commercially available weight-loss self-help (lifestyle information, self-monitoring), and the help that individuals actually desire (motivational and autonomous e-support), posing an opportunity to develop more effective electronic, theory-driven, motivational, self-help interventions.

How long does secondhand smoke remain in household air: analysis of PM2.5 data from smokers' homes.

More than 80% of secondhand smoke (SHS) is invisible to the human eye, and smokers are often unaware of how much SHS is produced when they smoke at home. Very little is known about how long SHS particles remain suspended in the air within household settings. Data from a series of studies where fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations were measured every minute in homes were used to identify the PM2.5 peak produced by SHS from the last cigarette smoked of the day. The time taken for this peak to reduce by 50% was calculated, as was the time between the peak and a return to the World Health Organization's (WHO) 24-hr guidance value for PM2.5 of 25 µg/m(3). From more than 230 days worth of 1-min resolved PM2.5 data gathered from 103 smoking households, 140 suitable peaks were identified. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) for the time for the SHS peak to decay by 50% was 55 (23-116) min, and the median (IQR) for the peak to reduce to the WHO guidance value for PM2.5 was 160 (90-313) min. SHS remains in household air for a considerable period after smoking a cigarette. This information is likely to be of use in public health information campaigns and in interventions to encourage smokers to make their home smoke-free.

Are Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxes a Cost-Effective Means of Reducing Weight?

1499-2671/$ e see front matter 2014 Canadian Dia http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjd.2013.08.259 Buhler et al (1) are to be applauded for attempting to reach a consensus on the desirability of new sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes aimed at fighting obesity. Nevertheless, a group’s consensus is only as meritorious as the diversity of ideas and knowledge represented in the group. There are a number of other perspectives that should be considered before lawmakers seriously consider SSB taxes. The first set of concerns relates to the efficacy of an SSB tax in attaining its ultimate goal: reducing obesity. Buhler et al (1) are correct that an increase in the price of SSBs will probably lower consumption, but the key question is: by how much? It is inappropriate to focus only on the own-price elasticity of demand for SSBs. One reason is that there are substitutes for taxed goods, such as milk, juice and beer. The availability of caloric substitutes will lower the weight impacts of a tax beyond that implied by the ownprice elasticity (2). That is one reasonwhy some analyses show that only across-the-board food taxes will significantly affect weight (3). The problem with across-the-board food taxes is that they are, as Buhler et al (1) recognize, regressive. However, the key issue of regressiveness is not, as they suggest, whether the rich and the poor pay the same amount for the taxed goods but rather, the percent of income spent on the goods. Economically, a tax will be effective only to the extent consumers see it reflected in the retail price. In the United States, where taxes are added at the cash register and are not posted on the shelf, the “effective” own-price elasticity is something much smaller (and thus the anticipated weight impacts of a SSB tax are much smaller) than is suggested by an analysis of the conventional own-price elasticity (4). Even if the posted retail price reflects the tax impact, the tax effects will be partially mitigated and

Self respect—A “Rawlsian Primary Good” unprotected by the European Convention on Human Rights and its lack of a coherent approach to stigmatization?

This article is primarily concerned with stigmatization resulting from public information campaigns such as public health information campaigns. Stigmatization as a concept has received much attention from social scientists but conversely little from the legal world, including the European Court of Human Rights. Stigmatization can be distinguished from other similar concepts, e.g. discrimination, stereotyping and marginalization, by its ability to induce a sense of “self-loathing.” The court’s limited discourse thus far raises questions as to whether it recognizes stigmatization as being capable of engaging human rights principles where no other engaging factors are present. Even if the court is willing to find engagement in such cases, it is likely that in most instances the court would find any incidental stigmatization justified given the potential benefits available. The lack of judicial engagement with such cases thus far may reflect the possibility that stigmatization occurring through expressive acts of public officials is located within a “nexus of non-justiciability” whereby the European Convention on Human Rights is generally not applicable.

Geographic Difference in Outcomes of Congenital Toxoplasmosis

In Reply: We totally agree with Vasconcelos and Andrade's thesis. The results that we published recently on the quality of life and visual performances in treated congenital toxoplasmosis in France should not be extrapolated to other parts of the world, especially to South America.1 Despite a longer follow-up, patients in our cohort displayed fewer ocular lesions than reported in Brazilian patients.2 A large body of data concerning genotyping,3 serotyping,4 and clinical presentation2 demonstrated that the disease impact differs between Europe and South America. Another important issue which can account for the favorable outcome in our patients is the role of ante- and postnatal treatment. Treatment efficacy in reducing sequelae in congenitally infected patients is not demonstrated, but cannot be ruled out in the view of recent publications.5,6 In countries such as Brazil or Colombia, where ocular toxoplasmosis is a real public health concern, preventive measures and information campaigns targeted to pregnant women should be implemented. Randomized trials investigating ante- and postnatal treatment, similar to those currently conducted in France, are also required. In parallel, the clinical impact of the disease in other continents should be investigated. François Peyron, MD, PhD Martine Wallon, MD, PhD Department of Parasitology, Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse Lyon, France

ANALYSIS OF AN HIV/AIDS MODEL WITH PUBLIC-HEALTH INFORMATION CAMPAIGNS AND INDIVIDUAL WITHDRAWAL

Primary prevention measures designed to alter susceptibility and/or reduce exposure of susceptible individuals to diseases, remain the mainstay in the fight against HIV/AIDS. A model for HIV/AIDS, that investigates the reduction in infection by advocating for sexual behavior change through public-health information campaigns and withdrawal of individuals with AIDS from sexual activity is proposed and analyzed. The contact rate is modeled using an incidence function with saturation that depends on the number of infectives. The dynamics of the model is determined using the model reproduction number [Formula: see text]. Numerical simulations are presented to illustrate the role of some key epidemiological parameters. The results from the study demonstrate that an increase in the rate of dissemination of effective public-health information campaigns results in a decrease in the prevalence of the disease. Similarly, an increase in the fraction of individuals with AIDS who withdraw from sexual activities reduces the burden of the disease.

Représentations et attitudes du public vis-à-vis du cancer

Cancer has become a major public health issue. It is thus crucial to measure the general population's behaviours, opinions and perceptions about cancer and its associated risk factors. This article describes some of the main findings of a 2005 French survey (n = 4,046). Cancer is considered by a large majority to be the most serious disease, far before HIV/AIDS and cardiovascular diseases. The carcinogenic risk that is associated to main risk factors, such as sun exposure, tobacco-smoking and alcohol use appears to be well-known. However, many people justify dangerous behaviours with strongly-anchored beliefs, which maintain dangerous behaviours for health on the long-term. What's more, the perception of risk proliferation can also generate risk denial. Because self-exempting beliefs are still widespread within the general opinion, it is essential to continue public health information campaigns dedicated to cancer prevention, so as to induce better prevention practices within the general population and to reduce stigmatisation and isolation experienced by cancer patients. If risk denial is not systematically a consequence of a lack of information, it is generally associated to a cognitive construction that gives coherence to behaviours.