scholarly journals Overweight and Obesity among Russian, Somali, and Kurdish Origin Populations in Finland

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 73-88
Author(s):  
Natalia Skogberg ◽  
Adam Adam ◽  
Tarja Kinnunen ◽  
Eero Lilja ◽  
Anu Castaneda
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
General Population ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Obesity Prevention ◽  
Migrant Health ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Lower Prevalence ◽  
Foreign Born ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Obesity Prevention Programs

Previous studies have shown the prevalence of overweight and obesity to be higher in foreign-born populations than their native counterparts. This study aimed at assessing the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Russian, Somali and Kurdish origin populations in Finland in comparison with the general population, and determining which background factors associate with overweight and obesity. Data from the Finnish Migrant Health and Wellbeing Study (Maamu) were used. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was as high as 73% in Somali and 65% in Kurdish origin women. In contrast, Somali origin men had a significantly lower prevalence of overweight and obesity than men in the general population. Health promotion measures must be addressed towards decreasing the prevalence of overweight and obesity particularly among Somali and Kurdish origin women. Foreign-born people need to be taken into account when planning and implementing obesity prevention programs.

scholarly journals Enhancing Survey Participation among Foreign-Born Populations

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 89-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anu Castaneda ◽  
Shadia Rask ◽  
Tommi Härkänen ◽  
Teppo Juntunen ◽  
Natalia Skogberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Participation Rate ◽  
Migrant Health ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Health Examination ◽  
Foreign Born ◽  
Extra Effort ◽  
Scale Population

The Finnish Migrant Health and Wellbeing Study (Maamu) is the first large-scale population-based health examination survey among the foreign-born population in Finland, unique also at the European level. It provides information on wellbeing of three major foreign-born groups: Russian, Somali, and Kurdish. In data collection, extra effort was put into reaching the sampled persons (n=3,000), for example by recruiting bilingual personnel to carry out the data collection, reaching participation rates as high as 70%, 51%, and 63%, respectively. A comparison group of the general population was available from a general population survey. The main challenges in fieldwork included reaching sampled persons, supervision of the fieldwork personnel, and special linguistic or cultural needs. Our experiences show that participation rate can be improved by engaging the target groups in all stages of the survey process and using several recruitment strategies, ending up with succeeding in pointing out health inequalities in the population.

scholarly journals 6.E. Workshop: Health promotion: An integrative paradigm for sustainable health, wellbeing and development

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Human Wellbeing ◽  
Health Promoting ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Sustainable Health

Abstract This workshop addresses the importance of health promotion for enabling all human beings to have healthy lives, to maximise their health potential and ensure that no one is left behind. Health promotion is a critical component of modern health systems and a vital strategy for sustainable health development and human flourishing. Effective health promotion strategies are essential in addressing the broader determinants of health, reducing health inequities, and tackling current and emerging health challenges to human development. Achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and universal health coverage calls for concerted action on health promotion as an integral component of modern health systems and future development. While successive global health policies have endorsed the need to invest in health promotion, political commitment to implementing health promotion is lacking and health policies and budgets remain focused on curative approaches. Health promotion is often poorly understood, both within the health sector and society more widely, and there is a limited appreciation of what is required to translate health promotion into effective action. Transformative health promotion actions are needed to deliver on improved population health and wellbeing and the creation of a healthy society where human wellbeing can flourish. Objectives This workshop will engage participants in an interactive discussion on how health promotion policy, research and practice can be strengthened in order to advance human health and wellbeing. Critical insights will be exchanged on how to bring a renewed focus on health promotion as a key transformative and disruptive strategy for advancing human wellbeing development. The workshop will critically consider what mechanisms are needed for strengthening health promoting policies, implementation processes and structures, capacities and research, to advance population health and wellbeing and a healthier future for all. Key messages Health promotion actions are critical to the delivery of improved population health and health equity, transforming health systems and enhancing human wellbeing and sustainable development. Strengthening health promoting polices, practices and research is essential to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals and enable the conditions for a healthier world.

Relative contribution of overweight and obesity to rising public hospital in-patient expenditure in South Australia

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Larg ◽  
John R. Moss ◽  
Nicola Spurrier
Keyword(s):  
Population Health ◽  
Obesity Prevention ◽  
Public Hospital ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Hospital Costs ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Public Healthcare ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Expenditure Growth

Objective Arguments to fund obesity prevention have often focused on the growing hospital costs of associated diseases. However, the relative contribution of overweight and obesity to public hospital expenditure growth is not well understood. This paper examines the effect of overweight and obesity on acute public hospital in-patient expenditure in South Australia over time compared with other expenditure drivers. Methods Annual inflation-adjusted acute public admitted expenditure attributable to a high body mass index was estimated for 2007–08 and 2011–12 and compared with other expenditure drivers. Results Expenditure attributable to overweight and obesity increased by A$45million, from 4.7% to 5.4% of total acute public in-patient expenditure. This increase accounted for 7.8% of the A$583million total expenditure growth, whereas the largest component of total growth (62.4%) was a real increase in the average cost per separation. Conclusions The relatively minor contribution of overweight and obesity to expenditure growth over the time period examined invites reflection on arguments to boost preventive spending that centre upon reducing hospital costs. These arguments may inadvertently detract attention from the considerable health and social burdens of overweight and obesity and from unrelated sources of expenditure growth that reduce opportunities for state governments to fund obesity prevention programs despite their comparative benefits to population health. What is known about the topic? Stand-alone estimates suggest that overweight and obesity are placing a considerable financial burden on the Australian public healthcare system. What does this paper add? Our findings challenge common perceptions about the relative importance of overweight and obesity in the context of rising public in-patient expenditure in Australia. What are the implications for practitioners? Consistent serial estimates of overweight- and obesity-attributable expenditure enable its tracking and comparison with other potentially controllable expenditure drivers that may also warrant attention. Explicit consideration of population health trade-offs in expenditure-related decisions, including in enterprise bargaining, would enhance transparency in priority setting.

scholarly journals Physical Activity Patterns in Adults Who Are Blind as Assessed by Accelerometry

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 283-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Marmeleira ◽  
Luis Laranjo ◽  
Olga Marques ◽  
Catarina Pereira
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
General Population ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Visual Impairments ◽  
Chronological Age ◽  
Promotion Strategies ◽  
Low Levels

The main purpose of our study was to quantify, by using accelerometry, daily physical activity (PA) in adults with visual impairments. Sixty-three adults (34.9% women) who are blind (18–65 years) wore an accelerometer for at least 3 days (minimum of 10 hr per day), including 1 weekend day. Nineteen participants (~30%) reached the recommendation of 30 min per day of PA, when counting every minute of moderate or greater intensity. No one achieved that goal when considering bouts of at least 10 min. No differences were found between genders in PA measures. Chronological age, age of blindness onset, and body mass index were not associated with PA. We conclude that adults who are blind have low levels of PA and are considerably less active compared with the general population. Health promotion strategies should be implemented to increase daily PA for people with visual impairments.

scholarly journals Understanding Health Promotion Policy Processes: A Study of the Government Adoption of the Achievement Program in Victoria, Australia

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 2393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brydie Clarke ◽  
Boyd Swinburn ◽  
Gary Sacks
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
State Government ◽  
Obesity Prevention ◽  
Policy Process ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Prevention Policy ◽  
Policy Action ◽  
Obesity Prevention Policy ◽  
The Government

Despite the growing health and economic burden associated with overweight and obesity, preventive policy progress has been deficient globally. This study investigated the policy process involved in the adoption of the Achievement Program, a settings-based health promotion intervention that was a key pillar of the Healthy Together Victoria obesity prevention initiative. The qualitative study utilised multiple theories of the policy process, as well as Causal Loop Diagramming (CLD) methods, to understand the policy systems underlying the decision to adopt the Achievement Program. Factors that impacted this obesity prevention policy adoption included problem prioritisation at Federal and state government levels; political risks regarding policy action and inaction, and framing used by policy advocates to reduce risks and highlight the opportunities related to the Achievement Program policy implementation. The use of CLD methods was advantageous to further conceptualise potential leverage points and effective ways to influence obesity prevention policy in future. As such, the findings contribute to the obesity prevention policy evidence base and toward developing a number of recommended actions for policy actors seeking to increase future policy action.

scholarly journals Capturing implementation knowledge: applying focused ethnography to study how implementers generate and manage knowledge in the scale-up of obesity prevention programs

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen P. Conte ◽  
Abeera Shahid ◽  
Sisse Grøn ◽  
Victoria Loblay ◽  
Amanda Green ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Information Management ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Obesity Prevention ◽  
Management System ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Prevention Programs ◽  
Information Management System ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Electronic Information ◽  
Obesity Prevention Programs

Abstract Background Bespoke electronic information management systems are being used for large-scale implementation delivery of population health programs. They record sites reached, coordinate activity, and track target achievement. However, many systems have been abandoned or failed to integrate into practice. We investigated the unusual endurance of an electronic information management system that has supported the successful statewide implementation of two evidence-based childhood obesity prevention programs for over 5 years. Upwards of 80% of implementation targets are being achieved. Methods We undertook co-designed partnership research with policymakers, practitioners, and IT designers. Our working hypothesis was that the science of getting evidence-based programs into practice rests on an in-depth understanding of the role programs play in the ongoing system of local relationships and multiple accountabilities. We conducted a 12-month multisite ethnography of 14 implementation teams, including their use of an electronic information management system, the Population Health Information Management System (PHIMS). Results All teams used PHIMS, but also drew on additional informal tools and technologies to manage, curate, and store critical information for implementation. We identified six functions these tools performed: (1) relationship management, (2) monitoring progress towards target achievement, (3) guiding and troubleshooting PHIMS use, (4) supporting teamwork, (5) evaluation, and (6) recording extra work at sites not related to program implementation. Informal tools enabled practitioners to create locally derived implementation knowledge and provided a conduit between knowledge generation and entry into PHIMS. Conclusions Implementation involves knowing and formalizing what to do, as well as how to do it. Our ethnography revealed the importance of hitherto uncharted knowledge about how practitioners develop implementation knowledge about how to do implementation locally, within the context of scaling up. Harnessing this knowledge for local use required adaptive and flexible systems which were enabled by informal tools and technologies. The use of informal tools also complemented and supported PHIMS use suggesting that both informal and standardized systems are required to support coordinated, large-scale implementation. While the content of the supplementary knowledge required to deliver the program was specific to context, functions like managing relationships with sites and helping others in the team may be applicable elsewhere.

Cancer in agricultural populations

2020 ◽  
pp. 837-837
Author(s):  
K. . Togawa
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
General Population ◽  
Cohort Studies ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Cancer Incidence ◽  
Lower Prevalence ◽  
International Consortium ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Specific Cancer ◽  
Cancer Types

Agricultural workers can be exposed to a wide variety of agents (e.g. pesticides), some of which may have adverse health effects, such as cancer. To study the health effects of agricultural exposures, an international consortium of agricultural cohort studies, AGRICOH, was established. The present analysis compared cancer incidence between the AGRICOH cohorts and the general population and found lower overall cancer incidence in the AGRICOH cohorts, with some variation across cohorts for specific cancer types. The observed lower cancer incidence may be due to healthy worker bias or lower prevalence of risk factors in the agricultural populations. Further analysis is underway.

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