Public Health Specialists Research Articles

Factors influencing smartwatch use and comfort with health data sharing: a sequential mixed-method study protocol

IntroductionSmartwatches have become ubiquitous for tracking health metrics. These data sets hold substantial potential for enhancing healthcare and public health initiatives; it may be used to track chronic health conditions,...

Concentrated transdiagnostic and cross-disciplinary micro-choice based group treatment for patients with depression and with anxiety leads to lasting improvements after 12 months: a pilot study

BackgroundA concentrated transdiagnostic and micro choice-based group treatment for patients with depression and anxiety has previously shown to yield significant reduction in symptoms and increased level of functioning from pre to 3-month follow-up. In the present study, we report the results after 12 months follow-up.MethodsThis was a non-randomized clinical intervention pilot study, conducted in line with a published protocol. Sixty-seven consecutively referred patients, aged 19–47 (mean age 32.5, SD = 8.0) were included and completed treatment. All had a severity of their problems that entitled them to care in the specialist public mental health care. Self-reported age at onset of symptoms was 17.6 (SD = 7.9) years. Mean number of prior treatment courses was 3.5 (SD = 3.3; range 0–20). The main objective was to assess the treatment effectiveness by questionnaires measuring relevant symptoms at pre-treatment, 7 days-, 3 months-, 6 months- and at 12-months follow-up.ResultsValidated measures of functional impairment (WSAS), depression (PHQ9), anxiety (GAD7), worry (PSWQ), fatigue (CFQ), insomnia (BIS) and illness perception (BIPQ) improved significantly (p < .0005) from before treatment to 12 months follow-up, yielding mostly large to extremely large effect sizes (0.89–3.68), whereas some moderate (0.60–0.76). After 12 months, 74% report an overall improvement in problems related to anxiety and depression. Utilization of specialist, public and private mental health care was reported as nonexistent or had decreased for 70% of the patients at 12-month follow up.ConclusionsThe concentrated, micro-choice based group treatment approach yielded a highly clinically significant reduction in a wide range of symptoms already one week after treatment, and the positive results persisted at 12-month follow-up.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05234281, first posted date 10/02/2022.

NEW SPHERE OF INTERDISCIPLINARY KNOWLEDGE "ONE HEALTH": SCIENTIFIC ORIENTATION AND EDUCATIONAL CONTENT

The aim of the study. Based on the analysis of the sources of scientific information, scientific and methodical approaches of the "One Health" concept, justify and develop the "One Health" certificate program for training and continuous professional development of specialists in the field of public health in order to solve complex interdisciplinary problems in the health care field. Materials and methods. The methods of system approach and system analysis, bibliosemantic, historical method, comparative analysis and conceptual modelling were used. Research results and discussion. Taking into account world experience, the joint efforts of the leading scientific and pedagogical staff of the departments of the Bogomolets National Medical University, certificate program "One Health" was created for the training and re-training of public health specialists, which consists of 5 interrelated content modules: Zooanthroponous and transmissible infectious diseases: new, traditional, imported; Food safety and one health in the "human-animal-plant-environment" system; Contribution to changes in the one health by industrial activity and environmental pollution; Climate changes on planet Earth in the context of impact on one health; The problem of resistance to antimicrobial drugs in the treatment of humans and animals and its consequences. The new educational program is aimed at preserving and strengthening the health of the population (with the joint efforts of health care systems, veterinary medicine, the State Service of Ukraine On Food Safety And Consumer Protection (SSUFSCP), the phytosanitary service and the State Environmental inspectorate of Ukraine). Conclusions. Training under the certificate program will allow students to learn the concept of "One Health", to form an understanding of the cooperation of WHO, FAO, UNEP and WOAH in the context of "human-animal-plant-environment", aimed at the integration and practical implementation of "One Health" concept on a global, regional and national levels.

Audit of Preoperative Difficult Airway Management in Algeria: Challenges and Strategies

Most respiratory complications during intubation are unanticipated and can lead to severe injuries or even death, especially in general anesthesia. Mitigating factors include preparation, evaluation, communication, teamwork, and situational awareness. However, in the absence of national recommendations, airway management in Algeria remains a challenge. Methodology: A cross-sectional study over one year (2019-2020) was conducted by distributing a questionnaire covering demographic data, difficulties encountered during intubation and ventilation, access to specific equipment and training, and the desire for training or algorithms. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS 18 software. Results: Out of 110 distributed questionnaires, the participation rate was 78%, covering 25 wilayas. The prevalence of intubation difficulties was 100%, with a higher prevalence among those without local protocols or specific training. Public health specialists in EPH and CHU were more likely to encounter ventilation difficulties. Discussion: This audit identifies the challenges faced by anesthesiologists in Algeria, emphasizing the importance of pre-planning and advancements in techniques to simplify the management of difficult intubations. The development of algorithms could facilitate patient care, provided that the techniques are widely known and feasible. Conclusion: Improving airway management in Algeria requires pre-planning, increased awareness, and appropriate training. Advances in techniques and the development of algorithms could help reduce complications during difficult intubations.

Predicting dental caries outcomes in young adults using machine learning approach

ObjectivesTo predict the dental caries outcomes in young adults from a set of longitudinally-obtained predictor variables and identify the most important predictors using machine learning techniques.MethodsThis study was conducted using the Iowa Fluoride Study dataset. The predictor variables - sex, mother’s education, family income, composite socio-economic status (SES), caries experience at ages 9, 13, and 17, and the cumulative estimates of risk and protective factors, including fluoride, dietary, and behavioral variables from ages 5–9, 9–13, 13–17, and 17–23 were used to predict the age 23 D2+MFS count. The following machine learning models (LASSO regression, generalized boosting machines (GBM), negative binomial (NegGLM), and extreme gradient boosting models (XGBOOST)) were compared under 5-fold cross validation with nested resampling techniques.ResultsThe prevalence of cavitated level caries experience at age 23 (mean D2+MFS count) was 4.75. The predictive analysis found LASSO to be the best performing model (compared to GBM, NegGLM, and XGBOOST), with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.70, and coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.44. After dichotomization of the predicted and observed values of the LASSO regression, the classification results showed accuracy, precision, recall, and ROC AUC of 83.7%, 85.9%, 93.1%, 68.2%, respectively. Previous caries experience at age 13 and age 17 and sugar-sweetened beverages intakes at age 13 and age 17 were found to be the four most important predictors of cavitated caries count at age 23.ConclusionOur machine learning model showed high accuracy and precision in the prediction of caries in young adults from a longitudinally-obtained predictor variables. Our model could, in the future, after further development and validation with other diverse population data, be used by public health specialists and policy-makers as a screening tool to identify the risk of caries in young adults and apply more targeted interventions. However, data from a more diverse population are needed to improve the quality and generalizability of caries prediction.

Does the level of burnout differ between occupational groups in Lithuania?

The strain on workers of the healthcare system and education sector increased psychological distress and burnout. This study aimed to distinguish the occupational group that is the most affected by occupational burnout and to reveal the scope of psychosocial risk factors among each occupational group. This is a cross-sectional study that analyzed burnout syndrome among 1,046 participants of different occupational groups in association with psychosocial work environment factors in Lithuania. The anonymous questionnaire was composed of the standardized Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI). To find out associations between psychosocial work environment factors and burnout dimensions, a multiple logistic regression model using the stepwise method was applied. The burnout levels in all three dimensions (personal, work-related, and client-related burnout) were significantly higher in physicians' and nurses' groups compared with public health professionals, teachers, and managers (p < 0.05). The job demands were associated with the personal burnout subscale for all occupations, except public health specialists - each one-unit increase of this variable significantly increased the probability of personal burnout from 10 to 16%, respectively by the occupation. Co-worker support was found to have a buffering effect for all occupational groups, except managers - and significantly reduced personal burnout for physicians (OR = 0.80), nurses (OR = 0.75), public health specialists (OR = 0.75), and teachers (OR = 0.79). The burnout levels in all three dimensions differed between occupational groups: there were significantly higher in physicians' and nurses' groups compared with public health professionals, teachers, and managers. Considering the occupational preventive measures in the healthcare sector attention should be paid to the reduction of workload and ensuring good relations between co-workers.

From art to health action: lessons from a community-based, culturally tailored arts-meets-health educational campaign in Hispanic communities.

Robust digital and community-led approaches are needed to combat health misinformation, as highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Such gaps in public health outreach, compounded by systemic health barriers, contributed to higher rates of COVID-19 infection, mortality, and mental health effects among Hispanics during the peak of the pandemic. Thus, we conducted a community-based art-meets-health intervention [Stay Connected Los Angeles (SCLA)] to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hispanic communities. Led by local artists in collaboration with public health specialists and community members, SCLA used multimedia to promote infection mitigation behaviors and psychological well-being among the 120,000 residents of Eastern Los Angeles. Campaign materials were designed with input from community representatives and included digital media, large-scale murals, and comic-book style pieces. Two semi-structured focus groups (one in English and another in Spanish) were conducted to solicit participants' views on attributes of the campaign. Independent coders analyzed transcripts and applied thematic analysis to summarize key learnings regarding central health and mitigation messages, media modalities, how health information would be communicated, and the ideal spokespersons for delivering health-related messages. Focus group participants emphasized the effectiveness of social media, GIFs, and references to popular media. Further, youth involvement in the creative process was deemed to be important. Participants highlighted the need for clarity in public health messaging and adaptation of visual campaigns to the preferences of diverse age groups through different art styles. Finally, community leaders were found to be critical health information sources. As a model of a culturally tailored arts-meets health public education campaign, SCLA yielded valuable information on how to structure future public health messaging and media to create a meaningful improvement in health knowledge, mental well-being, and compliance with mitigation behaviors in communities that are often overlooked. Contributions from local artists can heighten appeal and acceptability of messages.

Validation of the Standardized Needs Evaluation Questionnaire in Polish Cancer Patients.

Cancer influences various aspects of patients' functioning. Cancer patients face not only medical problems but also organizational, socio-psychological, and spiritual problems. Their needs often seem to be unrecognized because patients do not express their concerns and clinicians do not ask appropriate questions. Unmet needs impact patients' quality of life. The aim of this study was to select, adapt, validate, and introduce a simple instrument for estimating cancer patients' unmet needs in Poland. The Needs Evaluation Questionnaire (NEQ) was chosen for validation in a Polish population. The Polish version of the NEQ was developed with a back-translation procedure, as approved by a psycho-oncologist and a public health specialist. The psychometric properties of the NEQ (content analysis, reliability, construct validity, comprehensibility, and acceptability) were measured. This study was performed on a group of 121 cancer patients. The median time of completion for the NEQ was 10 min. The form, length, and font size of the NEQ were accepted by the respondents. Overall, the meaning of the questions was well understood, with only a few cases of discreetly heterogeneous interpretation of the content. The questionnaire showed good reliability and internal factor structure validity. The NEQ is a simple, easy-to-administer instrument with good psychometric properties and seems to be useful in assessing the unexpressed needs of cancer patients.

Piecewise Linear Multiple Change Point Modelling for Under-Five Child Mortality

Using a piecewise linear multiple change-point model instead of more traditional survival techniques is more beneficial when dealing with mortality data. Utilizing this technique, the hazard model is estimated and the number of cut-point locations is found. Using various covariates, such as sociodemographic, biological, and proximate co-factors, this piecewise hazard model is fitted to the Infant Mortality Data of Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2014. Finding the change point and the impact of covariates on the hazard rate is done using the maximum likelihood estimation process. The parameter&amp;apos;s significance is subsequently supported by the Wald test statistic. It turns out that the mother&amp;apos;s educational status, religion, mother&amp;apos;s age in years, the number of children they have ever had, currently breastfeeding, the size of the child, desire for more children, cesarean delivery, ANC visits, and birth orders are all significant factors. It is also discovered that the detected change point of the hazard rate is extremely important for the child until they reach the age of five. Through the various time cut points, it is found that a piecewise linear multiple change-point model is very important for under-five child mortality. Public health specialists, researchers, and clinicians can all benefit from this piecewise hazard model. One of the most crucial elements in lowering child mortality is time.

Making the case for the inclusion of humanities in the education of Dental Public Health specialists

Making the case for the inclusion of humanities in the education of Dental Public Health specialists

Strategic Communication for Local Public Health Services in Portugal: A Delphi Study.

Strategic communication plays a decisive role in public health planning and project implementation. However, Portuguese Local Public Health Units, which are responsible for community interventions, still lack guidance models, tools, specialized resources, and training in health communication. The aim of this study was to develop a conceptual model of strategic organizational communication for local public health services, in Portugal. This study presents a conceptual model of strategic organizational communication for Local Public Health Units, which was developed through a three-round, modified Delphi online panel. Thirty-seven Portuguese specialists in public health, communication, and community members were invited to analyse a proposed framework, based on an up-to-date literature review. High retention rates were observed in all rounds (first = 22 valid participations; second = 21 valid participations; third = 18 valid participations). Most participants believed that Portuguese Public Health Units were not prepared to communicate effectively and that they would benefit from adequate planning and identification of a communication lead or team. Websites and social media were also identified as essential for effective communication. The validated conceptual model integrated different partners in health and in the community, with emphasis on the relationships with the national network of health authorities, other Public Health Units, primary health care units, municipalities, and schools. The preferred channels identified for communicating with these partners included interpersonal relationships, email, and mobile phone. No consensus was obtained for preferred communication channels between Local Public Health Units and the media. Strategic planning based on the proposed conceptual model involving different stakeholders, has potential to improve the effectiveness of internal and external communication and facilitate the implementation of public health programs and projects. The proposed model needs to be validated in Local Public Health Units, considering the potential human, material, and financial constraints.

Mental Health Status and Fear of COVID-19 in Young Adult Male Inmates in Portugal

IntroductionIncarcerated individuals are subject to a heightened risk of both mental and physical ailments. Hence, it is important to conduct regular assessments of their mental well-being and other potential health hazards.ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to examine the subjective experience of fear related to COVID-19 and the psychological consequences of the pandemic among a cohort of young adult male convicts.MethodsA research design using an institutional-based quantitative cross-sectional approach was used. The data collecting period was from July to September 2022, during which data was gathered at a juvenile correctional facility located in the center area of Portugal. The researchers used questionnaires to gather data pertaining to demographic and health attributes, fear related to COVID-19, as well as measures of depression, anxiety, stress, and resilient coping.Results The study included a cohort of 60 incarcerated males who had been imprisoned for a duration exceeding 2 years. The prevalence of stress was found to be the highest among offenders, with around 75% reporting this symptom. Anxiety was the second most often reported symptom, with 38.3% of inmates experiencing it, followed closely by depression, which was reported by 36.7% of the inmate population. The average score on the Fear of COVID-19 Scale was 17.38 ± 4.80, suggesting that participants generally reported mild levels of fear. A total of 38 subjects, accounting for 63.3% of the sample, had low scores in resilience. The participants’ responses indicated that their perceptions of mental health were within a fairly high range, with an average score of 3.62 ± 0.87. Similarly, their perceptions of physical health were also moderately high, with an average score of 3.73 ± 0.95. In terms of global health, participants reported a slightly lower average score of 3.27 ± 0.82 for the preceding month. The Pearson correlation matrix revealed statistically significant associations between fear of COVID-19 and characteristics linked to mental health, with the strength of these associations ranging from moderate to high (p &lt; 0.001). The identification of predictive variables for fear of COVID-19 was accomplished by the use of a multiple linear regression model. Four predictors were identified in the study, namely age, perception of mental health, and overall levels of anxiety and stress. These predictors together account for about 49.7% of the variance in the outcome variable.ConclusionsThe findings of our research indicate a significant prevalence of stress among incarcerated individuals, accompanied by moderate levels of anxiety and depression. Our research has the potential to provide valuable insights for policymakers, mental health professionals, public health specialists, and other relevant stakeholders in the identification and effective management of pandemic-induced anxieties and mental health symptoms.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Prescribing patterns for higher dose folic acid in pregnant women with epilepsy treated with antiseizure medication.

This study was undertaken to characterize the use of higher doses of folic acid (≥1 mg daily) in relation to pregnancy in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden in women with epilepsy treated with antiseizure medication (ASM). In this observational study, we used data from national medical birth, patient, and prescription registers in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden to retrospectively identify pregnancies in women with epilepsy treated with ASM from 2006 to 2017. The proportion of higher dose folic acid supplementation in pregnancies among women receiving ASM for epilepsy was calculated according to country of origin, time period, and type of ASM. Logistic regression with restricted cubic splines was used to model country-specific time trends. Among a total of 2 748 882 pregnancies, we identified 8695 (.3%) pregnancies after restricting the population to women with ASM-treated epilepsy. A prescription for higher dose folic acid was filled in 4719 (54.3%) of these pregnancies. The proportion supplemented with higher dose folic acid was highest in Sweden (74.3%) and lower in Norway (41.4%) and Denmark (34.3%). Furthermore, we observed a decreasing trend of higher dose folic acid use in Denmark and Norway from year 2012 to 2017. Among those who used higher dose folic acid, 42% did not start preconception supplementation with higher dose folic acid. Supplementation with higher dose folic acid occurred in approximately half of pregnancies in women with ASM-treated epilepsy, with many not starting supplementation until after becoming pregnant. Considerable variability was observed in the use of higher dose folic acid across the countries, despite similar population characteristics and health care systems. Future guidelines should be simplified with clear recommendations developed in a collaborative manner by relevant specialists including neurologists, obstetricians, pediatricians, and public health specialists to enhance real-world applicability.

Salutogenic Design as Health Preservation Technology: Prospects for Implementation in Public Health

Introduction. The concept of salutogenic design, focused on creating a healthy environment, is based on the salutogenesis concept, developed back in the 1970s by Aaron Antonovsky. This approach is becoming increasingly popular in urban planning, development, and certification of buildings, offices, and medical fa-cilities. Due to ongoing national projects, there is an increasing demand for specialists in public health and salutogenic design in Russia, which has justified the creation of an interdisciplinary educational program. Objective. To present the implementation of the network master's program "Salutogenic Design" in the field of public health and the creation of a healthy urban environment.Materials and methods. We conducted literature review on existing practices for applying salutogenic de-sign in urban planning and described the implementation of the network master's program "Salutogenic De-sign" at the Institute of Leadership and Health Management of the I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University) and Moscow institute of architecture (MIARCH).Results. The concept of salutogenic design is a prominent scientific and practical issue for researchers, pro-fessional community, and executive authorities worldwide, with particular interest in implementation studies of salutogenic design for designing and constructing environments, transport, medical organizations, and the urban landscape, as well as developing tools for urban environment assessment. The master's program "Salutogenic Design" is a unique educational experience that includes the development of professional skills in an interdisciplinary area of health sciences and urban planning, distinguishing it from other educational projects.

Potential Risk Factors to COVID-19 Severity: Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 Delta- and Omicron-Dominant Periods.

Continued study of risk factors can inform future pandemic preparedness and response. We aimed to determine the potential risk factors of COVID-19 severity among patients admitted to the hospital during the Delta- and Omicron-dominant periods. We utilized the J-SPEED-style COVID-19 Hospital version, a pre-administered questionnaire, to collect data from hospitals in Hiroshima Prefecture between 8 August 2021 and 19 April 2022. During the Delta-dominant period, patients aged over 65 (OR = 2.59, 95% CI = 1.75-3.84), males (OR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.12-1.81) and with BMI exceeding 25 (OR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.57-2.52), diabetes (OR = 2.03, 95% CI = 1.40-2.95), and those with fewer than two doses of vaccine (OR = 2.39, 95% CI = 1.46-3.91) were at a greater risk of severe COVID-19 compared to those without these risk factors. During the Omicron-dominant period, significantly greater severity was observed among patients over 65 years old (OR = 3.89, 95% CI = 2.95-5.12), males (OR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.40-2.21), those with high blood pressure (OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.02-1.65), and mental disorder (OR = 2.22, 95% CI = 1.69-2.92) compared to patients without these risks. Our findings indicate that risk factors vary across different SARS-CoV-2 variants. Examining variant-specific risk factors for COVID-19 severity can aid policymakers, public health specialists, and clinicians in prioritizing screening, treatment, and vaccination efforts, especially during potential healthcare resource shortages.

Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Polygenetic Conditions: A Legal, Ethical, and Scientific Challenge.

The recent commercialization of the Embryo Health Score (EHS), determined through preimplantation genetic testing for polygenic conditions, offers the potential to select embryos with lower disease risk, thus potentially enhancing offspring longevity and health. Lately, Orchid Health company increased testing from less than 20 diseases to more than 900+ conditions for birth defects. However, the "geneticization" of phenotype estimates to a health state erases the environmental part, including the in vitro fertilization potential risks, questioning its scientific usefulness. EHS is utilized in countries with minimal regulatory oversight and will likely expand, while it remains illegal in other countries due to ethical and legal dilemmas it raises about reproductive autonomy, discrimination, impacts on family dynamics, and genetic diversity. The shift toward commercialized polygenic embryo screening (PES) redefines healthcare relationships, turning prospective parents into consumers and altering the physician's role. Moreover, PES could increase social inequalities, stigmatize those not born following PES, and encourage "desirable" phenotypic or behavioral traits selection, leading to ethical drift. Addressing these issues is essential before further implementation and requires a collaborative approach involving political, governmental, and public health, alongside geneticists, ethicists, and fertility specialists, focusing on the societal implications and acceptability of testing for polygenic traits for embryo selection.

Perceived barriers in digitalizing oral health promotion: Phenomenological study among Malaysian dental public health specialists

Abstract Aim: The ascent of digital health promotion, encompassing telemedicine, teledentistry, mHealth, eHealth, mOralHealth, and social media, underscores the necessity for its adoption in advancing health promotion. Identifying barriers in digitalizing health promotion aids in overcoming obstacles and facilitating the effective integration of digital technologies for improved healthcare and health outcomes. Hence, this study aims to identify barriers to digitalizing oral health promotion among Malaysian dental public health specialists. Materials and Methods: Eight dental public health specialists from different ministries in Malaysia participated in the interviews using semi-structured questionnaires. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using NVivo software. Results: Thematic analysis identified three major themes with 19 sub-themes, totaling 51 occurrences across the interviews. Among these three major themes, the availability of a supportive environment or infrastructure was the most discussed among the respondents. Among all sub-themes, respondents perceived those facilities, resources, and infrastructure (n = 6); and poor internet connection and stability (n = 6) as significant barriers to adopting and implementing digitalized oral health promotion. Conclusions: This study provides a distinctive contribution to stakeholders, offering insights into the impediments hindering dental students and professionals from embracing digital health promotion. The study findings can be utilized as a guide to facilitate the integration of digital dentistry and address the related issues within a broader context, guided by existing regulatory frameworks.

Social media impact on psychological well-being-A cross-sectional study among the adolescents of Odisha.

Psychological well-being encapsulates positive dimensions, encompassing an individual's sense of mastery, autonomy, personal growth, and a profound connection with purpose and meaning in life. In the domain of mental well-being, research indicates that social media yields consequential outcomes, contributing to elevated levels of well-being, life satisfaction, and social support. The engagement of adolescents with social networking sites serves as a facilitator in fortifying existing friendships and cultivating new connections through online platforms. This, in consequence, alleviates social isolation and loneliness, thereby fostering a discernible enhancement in the mental health of adolescents. The study was conducted among 120 undergraduate students studying in different colleges of Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The study was based on a 2 (social media use) ×2 (gender) factorial design with independent variables being the social media use (high use and low use) and gender (boys and girls) of the undergraduate students. All of the adolescents were in the age group of 17-19 years. Subjects were randomly selected from different undergraduate colleges of Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Data analysis was performed using the IBM SPSS Statistics software version 21. The sample consisted of 120 students from different colleges of Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Comparisons of psychological well being mean scores of subjects indicated that high social media use had higher psychological well being than their low social media use among the counterparts. Psychological well being scores of the boys was found to be higher than girls, indicating that boys were psychologically healthier than their girl counterparts. The finding of this study revealed that higher social media users had better perceived social support than lower social media users. Comparison of mean scores disclosed that boys and higher social media users had better psychological well-being than girls and lower social media users respectively. Social media is linked to social support and psychological wellbeing among the college students. This information will provide information to psychologists and public health specialist guiding their work with college students.

Wie viel Digital Public Health steckt in Public-Health-Studiengängen? Eine systematische Modulhandbuchanalyse von Vollzeitstudiengängen an öffentlichen Hochschulen und Universitäten in Deutschland

ZusammenfassungHintergrundFachkräfte für den Bereich Digital Public Health (DiPH) sind für eine erfolgreiche digitale Transformation im Sozial- und Gesundheitswesen notwendig. Unklar ist jedoch, inwiefern im Public-Health-(PH-)Studium DiPH-bezogene Inhalte vermittelt werden.MethodeMittels systematischer Modulhandbuchanalyse wurden DiPH-bezogene Inhalte von akkreditierten PH-orientierten Studiengängen öffentlicher Hochschulen und Universitäten in Deutschland analysiert. Über die Plattform „Hochschulkompass“ und Mitgliedsstudiengänge der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Public Health (DGPH) wurden 422 Studiengänge identifiziert. Eingeschlossene Modulhandbücher wurden inhaltsanalytisch mittels MAXQDA ausgewertet.ErgebnisseLediglich 10 Bachelor- und 6 Masterstudiengänge weisen einen inhaltlichen DiPH-Bezug auf. Sie sind in ihren Schwerpunkten heterogen und unterschiedlichen PH-Teilbereichen zuzuordnen („Methoden, Definition, Geschichte und Sozialmedizin“ = 5; „Gesundheitsmanagement“ = 5; „Digital Health“ = 3; „Versorgungsforschung“ = 2; „Gesundheitskommunikation“ = 1). Zwischen dem wissenschaftlich gängigen Verständnis von DiPH und den darauf bezogenen Inhalten in den Modulhandbüchern zeigen sich Unterschiede. Die identifizierten Inhalte fokussieren eher technische und geringfügiger sozial- und gesundheitswissenschaftliche Bereiche.DiskussionDie heterogenen Studiengänge mit DiPH-Bezug ermöglichen akademischen PH-Fachkräften eine spezifische Profilierung. Um umfassende Kompetenzen im Bereich DiPH zu erlangen, bedarf es eines weiteren Ausbaus entsprechender Module, die für den jeweiligen Studiengang relevant sind. Die Ergebnisse könnten zur (Weiter‑)Entwicklung geeigneter Module sowie eines DiPH-Kerncurriculums dienen.

Development of a partnership between academia, community, and government in response to the 2022 mpox outbreak in Japan.

Objectives In response to the steady rise in the number of cases of mpox in nonendemic countries, starting with an outbreak in the United Kingdom in May 2022, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern on July 23, 2022. As of November 13, 2022, seven cases of mpox have been reported in Japan.Methods A community engagement approach was applied to prevent the spread of mpox in Japan.Results A tripartite partnership between academia, community, and government (ACG) was established to promote multisectoral communication between vulnerable communities, medical personnel involved in diagnosis and treatment, public health specialists at public health centers, epidemiologists at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), and government and public administration. Through information sharing, this ACG partnership can translate accurate information into effective infection control measures.Conclusion By developing and maintaining the ACG partnership, an environment will be created that allows an immediate response to future public health crises affecting vulnerable communities. This Practice Report describes the process of establishing an ACG partnership.