scholarly journals COVID-19 impact on daily mobility in Slovenia

2021 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-107
Author(s):  
Tadej Brezina ◽  
Jernej Tiran ◽  
Matej Ogrin ◽  
Barbara Laa
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Travel Behaviour ◽  
Grocery Shopping ◽  
Transport Mode ◽  
Daily Mobility ◽  
Public Health Challenges ◽  
Frequency Changes ◽  
Behaviour Changes

We analyse the Slovenian subsample (n = 415) of an international online survey about changes in daily mobility during the COVID-19 outbreak in spring of 2020 from a geographical perspective. We split the dataset into three spatial classes (urban, transitional and rural) according to respondents’ place of residence. The people’s behaviour is compared before and under the COVID-19 lockdown and are analysed in terms of commuting frequency, changes in mode choice for commuting and style of grocery shopping. The results show that commuting was reduced drastically during the lockdown while the car both for commuting and shopping remained the main transport mode, especially in rural areas. With an unprecedented insight on travel behaviour changes due to pandemic, the study congruously argues for improved transport policies to meet climate change and public health challenges.

scholarly journals A study on the prevalence of Schistosoma Haematobium and Schistosoma Intercalatum in a rural community of Ogun State, Nigeria

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
O Gladys Otuneme ◽  
FO Akinkuade ◽  
O Oluwasola Obebe ◽  
OS Usiobeigbe ◽  
TG Faloye ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Schistosoma Haematobium ◽  
Urine Samples ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Water Control ◽  
Ogun State ◽  
Positive Urine ◽  
Public Health Challenges ◽  
Community Area

Urinary Schistosomiasis is endemic in Nigeria and continues to pose public health challenges especially in inhabitants of rural areas. This study was conducted in an attempt to determine the co-infection of Schistosoma haematobium and S. intercalatum in Apojola Community area of Abeokuta North LGA of Ogun State, Nigeria. Urine samples were analyzed in the Laboratory using sedimentation/centrifugation technique to determine schistosoma eggs. Positive urine samples were further confirmed using Ziehl-Neelsen (zn) staining method for differentiating S. haematobium from S. intercalatum eggs. The results indicate that 79 (52.7%) of the urine samples collected were positive for schistosoma eggs. Among the positive urine samples, 62% had S.haematobium while 38% had S. intercalatum eggs. Infections were found to be high in males 39 (55.7%) than female 40 (50%). Villagers who were <13 years of age had the highest prevalence rate of infection. Co-infection of S. haematobium and S. intercalatum among the villagers was established in the study and was observed to be highest in the age group <13years, compared to other age group. The study confirmed the endemicity and the co-infection of S. haematobium and S. intercalatum in the study area. It is therefore recommended that water control, sanitation and snails elimination as well as community-based programs are urgently needed to reduce S. haematobium and S. intercalatum infection.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/seajph.v4i1.21845 South East Asia Journal of Public Health Vol.4(1) 2014: 67-71

Public health challenges in hepatitis C virus infection

2000 ◽  
Vol 15 (5 (Suppl.)) ◽  
pp. E83-E90 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M Kaldor ◽  
Gregory J Dore ◽  
Patricia Kl Correll
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Virus Infection ◽  
Hepatitis C Virus Infection ◽  
Public Health Challenges

The Experience in Organizing and Conducting the Analysis of Data on Nutrition of School-Aged Children in the Sverdlovsk Region within the Federal Public Health Promotion Project

2020 ◽  
pp. 10-17
Author(s):  
NA Moiseeva ◽  
IL Kholstinina ◽  
MF Knyazeva ◽  
TV Mazhaeva ◽  
OL Malykh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Nutritional Value ◽  
School Meals ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Healthy Nutrition ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Public Health Promotion

Introduction: Implementation of the Federal Public Health Promotion Project should raise awareness and develop skills of healthy nutrition in children, thus contributing to disease prevention. Our objective was to evaluate the results of pilot nutrition monitoring in school-aged children of the Sverdlovsk Region as part of the Federal Public Health Promotion Project and the National Demography Project. Results: We established that school meals were generally satisfactory: the rations complied with physiological needs of children in terms of their nutritional value, basic nutrients, energy, and distribution of calories by main meals. We noted differences in the cost and nutritional value of meals and the variety of dishes and foodstuffs used between urban and rural areas. As a rule, pupils have one or two school meals a day. Outside of school, their consumption of dairy products and fruit is limited. Conclusions: Our findings may promote the elaboration of municipal programs aimed, inter alia, at changing the amount of sugar and salt used in the manufacture of public catering products, the cost of dishes with a high content of sugar, saturated fats, and salt, and subsidies on healthy nutrition.

scholarly journals Are public health measures and individualised care compatible in the face of a pandemic? A national observational study of bereaved relatives’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 026921632110198
Author(s):  
Catriona R Mayland ◽  
Rosemary Hughes ◽  
Steven Lane ◽  
Tamsin McGlinchey ◽  
Warren Donnellan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Family Support ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Professional Networks ◽  
Dying Patients ◽  
The Face ◽  
Individualised Care ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Informative Communication

Background: COVID-19 public health restrictions have affected end-of-life care experiences for dying patients and their families. Aim: To explore bereaved relatives’ experiences of quality of care and family support provided during the last days of life; to identify the impact of factors associated with perceived support. Design: A national, observational, open online survey was developed and disseminated via social media, public fora and professional networks (June–September 2020). Validated instruments and purposively designed questions assessed experiences. Analysis used descriptive statistics, logistic regression and thematic analysis of free-text responses. Participants: Individuals (⩾18 years) who had experienced the death of a relative/friend (all care settings) within the United Kingdome during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Respondents ( n = 278, mean 53.4 years) tended to be female ( n = 216, 78%); over half were ‘son/daughter’ (174, 62.6%) to the deceased. Deceased individuals (mean 81.6 years) most frequently died in their ‘usual place of care’ ( n = 192, 69.3%). Analysis established five conceptual themes affecting individualised care: (1) public health restrictions compounding the distress of ‘not knowing’; (2) disparate views about support from doctors and nurses; (3) challenges in communication and level of preparedness for the death; (4) delivery of compassionate care; (5) emotional needs and potential impact on grief. Male respondents (OR 2.9, p = 0.03) and those able to visit (OR 2.2, p = 0.04) were independently associated with good perceptions of family support. Conclusion: Despite public health restrictions, individualised care can be enabled by proactive, informative communication; recognising dying in a timely manner and facilitating the ability to be present before death.

scholarly journals Precautionary Behavior Practices and Psychological Characteristics of COVID-19 Patients and Quarantined Persons

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 6070
Author(s):  
Yubin Lee ◽  
Byung-Woo Kim ◽  
Shin-Woo Kim ◽  
Hyunjin Son ◽  
Boyoung Park ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Psychological Characteristics ◽  
Social Solidarity ◽  
Psychological States ◽  
Precautionary Behavior ◽  
Public Health Emergency Preparedness

Background: since the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was first reported in 2019, South Korea has enforced isolation of patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19, as well as quarantine for close contacts of individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 and persons traveling from abroad, in order to contain its spread. Precautionary behavior practices and psychological characteristics of confirmed and quarantined persons were investigated for planning pandemic recovery and preparedness. Methods: this study was conducted with 1716 confirmed patients and quarantined persons in Daegu and Busan, regions where a high number of cases were confirmed during the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak in South Korea. We collected online survey data from 23 April to 20 May 2020, in Daegu, and 28 April to 27 May 2020, in Busan, in cooperation with Daegu and Busan Infectious Disease Control Centers and public health centers in the regions. COVID-19 symptoms, pre-cautionary behavior practices, psychological states, and the need for improvement in isolation/quarantine environments were examined using an online survey. Results: compared to patients infected with coronavirus, quarantined persons engaged in more hygiene-related behaviors (e.g., hand washing, cough etiquette, and proper mask-wearing) and social distancing. COVID-19 patients had a strong fear of stigma, while quarantined persons had a strong fear of contracting COVID-19. Study participants responded that it was necessary to provide financial support and adequate information during isolation/quarantine. Conclusions: the study highlights the importance of precautionary behavior to prevent COVID-19 infection and the need to provide support (both psychological and financial) to patients and quarantined persons, to reinforce effective communication, social solidarity, and public health emergency preparedness (PHEP) in a pandemic situation.

The Use of Twitter as an Interactive Learning Tool Within a Postgraduate Public Health Course: A Pilot Study

2020 ◽  
pp. 237337992097842
Author(s):  
Rimante Ronto ◽  
Alexandra Bhatti ◽  
Josephine Chau
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Learning Tool ◽  
Interactive Approach ◽  
Master Of Public Health ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The Impact

Twitter has gained attention in recent years as a tool to use in higher education to enhance students’ learning, engagement, and reflective writing. This study explored public health students’ perceptions on the usefulness of Twitter as a learning tool, engagement with their peers, staff, and the broader public health community. Participants were Master of Public Health students from a public university based in Sydney, Australia. A mixed methods approach was used combining content analysis of tweets, an online survey and two focus groups. Students were asked to engage with Twitter by reflecting on each week’s teaching content and by liking and replying to their peers’ tweets. Participation and engagement in this task were high initially and declined toward the end of semester. Most student tweets aligned with topics taught during the semester. Survey and focus group data indicated most students had positive views on using Twitter and reported finding engagement with Twitter beneficial in obtaining current information on health promotion news and trends, increasing their professional networks and allowing them to connect with their peers and teaching staff. Results indicate Twitter is a promising interactive approach to enhance public health students’ engagement and overall learning experience, as well as being useful for professional networking. Larger scale empirical studies are needed to investigate the impact of the use of social media platforms such as Twitter to various learning outcomes longitudinally and beyond this course.

scholarly journals Delivery of the National Child Measurement Programme in England

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Martin Čadek ◽  
Stuart W. Flint ◽  
Ralph Tench
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The Other ◽  
Service Availability ◽  
Healthy Weight ◽  
Weight Category ◽  
Convenience Sampling

Abstract Objective: The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) is a mandatory initiative delivered in England to children in reception and year 6. To date, no research has explored the methods used to deliver the NCMP by Local Government Authorities (LGA) across England. Design: An online survey was administered between February 2018 and May 2018 to explore the delivery of the NCMP across the 152 LGAs in England and disseminated using non-probability convenience sampling. Setting: LGAs received an anonymous link to the survey. Participants: A total of 92 LGAs participated in the survey. Results: Most LGAs who responded provide result feedback (86%), a proactive follow-up (71%) and referrals to services (80%). Additionally, 65% of the authorities tailor Public Health England specimen result letters to suit their needs, and 84% provide attachments alongside. Out of 71% of LGAs who provide proactive follow-up, 19 (29%) provide the proactive follow-up only to upper weight categories, and only 4 (6 %) include Healthy Weight category with other categories in proactive follow-up. Regarding the service availability for children, out of 80% of LGAs who indicated that services are available, 32 (43%) targeted solely upper weight categories while the other 42 (57%) offered services across all weight categories. Finally, most LGAs (88%) commission providers to manage various parts of the NCMP. Conclusions: The results show that LGAs in England localise the NCMP. Further guidance regarding standards of best practice would help LGAs to find the most suitable localisation out of various options that exist across other LGAs.

scholarly journals What makes a ‘successful’ collaborative research project between public health practitioners and academics? A mixed-methods review of funding applications submitted to a local intervention evaluation scheme

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter van der Graaf ◽  
Lindsay Blank ◽  
Eleanor Holding ◽  
Elizabeth Goyder
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Collaborative Research ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Public Health Practice ◽  
Rapid Review ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Evaluation Scheme ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
Public Health Practitioners

Abstract Background The national Public Health Practice Evaluation Scheme (PHPES) is a response-mode funded evaluation programme operated by the National Institute for Health Research School for Public Health Research (NIHR SPHR). The scheme enables public health professionals to work in partnership with SPHR researchers to conduct rigorous evaluations of their interventions. Our evaluation reviewed the learning from the first five years of PHPES (2013–2017) and how this was used to implement a revised scheme within the School. Methods We conducted a rapid review of applications and reports from 81 PHPES projects and sampled eight projects (including unfunded) to interview one researcher and one practitioner involved in each sampled project (n = 16) in order to identify factors that influence success of applications and effective delivery and dissemination of evaluations. Findings from the review and interviews were tested in an online survey with practitioners (applicants), researchers (principal investigators [PIs]) and PHPES panel members (n = 19) to explore the relative importance of these factors. Findings from the survey were synthesised and discussed for implications at a national workshop with wider stakeholders, including public members (n = 20). Results Strengths: PHPES provides much needed resources for evaluation which often are not available locally, and produces useful evidence to understand where a programme is not delivering, which can be used to formatively develop interventions. Weaknesses: Objectives of PHPES were too narrowly focused on (cost-)effectiveness of interventions, while practitioners also valued implementation studies and process evaluations. Opportunities: PHPES provided opportunities for novel/promising but less developed ideas. More funded time to develop a protocol and ensure feasibility of the intervention prior to application could increase intervention delivery success rates. Threats: There can be tensions between researchers and practitioners, for example, on the need to show the 'success’ of the intervention, on the use of existing research evidence, and the importance of generalisability of findings and of generating peer-reviewed publications. Conclusions The success of collaborative research projects between public health practitioners (PHP) and researchers can be improved by funders being mindful of tensions related to (1) the scope of collaborations, (2) local versus national impact, and (3) increasing inequalities in access to funding. Our study and comparisons with related funding schemes demonstrate how these tensions can be successfully resolved.

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