The rapid urbanization and demographic shifts experienced globally have significant implications for the well-being of older adults, particularly in low and middle income countries like Nigeria. As individuals age, understanding the impact of environmental characteristics on mobility and mental well-being becomes crucial for optimal health. Walkable neighborhoods have the...
Early detection of breast cancer enhances the likelihood of effective treatment and prevention, thereby reducing the disease burden. Despite its significance, breast cancer screening services in Ghana are underutilised, with variations across the 16 regions. This study estimated the uptake of breast cancer screening and examined its associated factors in Ghana. A weighted sample...
Elevated albumin-corrected anion gap (ACAG) has been linked to increased mortality across various patient populations, but its prognostic value in the general population remains unclear. This study examined the association between ACAG and all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer mortality among US adults. Data from 40,702 adults aged ≥ 20 years were analyzed from the...
This study aimed to systematically review and synthesize the evidence on the relationship between race/ethnicity and COVID-19 vaccine uptake in the general population. A comprehensive search of relevant electronic databases was conducted in May 2024 and updated in December 2024. Original research studies comparing COVID-19 vaccine uptake or vaccination rates in racial and ethnic...
Malaria remains a significant global health challenge, with temperature playing a critical role in transmission dynamics by affecting parasite development, mosquito longevity, and vectorial capacity. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to quantify the association between ambient temperature and malaria incidence across diverse geographical and ecological contexts...
Premature mortality risks vary in space and time among subpopulations and are influenced by numerous factors, including levels of socioeconomic deprivation. In Belgium, socioeconomic deprivation has recently been quantified using the Belgian Indices of Multiple Deprivation; however, its contribution to the spatial patterns of premature mortality has not yet been assessed. This...
LGBTI + individuals often face workplace challenges, but how inclusivity and social support affect their mental health across relationship statuses remains unclear. This study aimed to examine how workplace inclusivity and social support correlate with mental health among LGBTI + employees with different relationship statuses. Survey data from 7,695 full-time LGBTI + employees in...
This article offers a sociological analysis of the representational frameworks constructed around women in HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns published in the United States during the 1980s and 1990s. We argue that the recurring use of the category of ‘mother’ progressively supplanted and diluted the broader category of ‘woman’ within these campaigns. The notion of motherhood, as...
Procurement-side stewardship — unaddressed by Pakistan’s National Action Plan (NAP) against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) — is critical in ensuring access to needed antibiotics to curb AMR. However, a fragmented procurement model, disconnected from updated clinical evidence and inconsiderate towards budgetary allocation, is being implemented in Pakistan, affecting access to...
A collection of data routinely gathered at healthcare facilities to satisfy the requirements of health service statistics is called a Health Management Information System (HMIS). The purpose of this study was to ascertain how HMIS data were used and what variables affected the health system performance of Synod of Livingstonia Health Facilities at the district and basic...
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) remains a critical public health and human rights issue, disproportionately affecting women in low-resource settings. Despite various interventions, IPV persists in East Africa due to entrenched gender norms, economic dependence, and weak law enforcement. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of IPV among reproductive...
Suboptimal infant feeding practices in the first 2000 days may increase the risk of childhood overweight, obesity, and chronic disease in later life. Previous literature has shown Indian immigrant mothers have some suboptimal infant feeding practices that do not align with the Australian Infant Feeding Guidelines. There is limited data on factors influencing the feeding practices...
The Strong Families program has been successfully implemented in multiple low- and middle-income countries. However, Thailand has only recently begun exploring the program’s potential. To assess the feasibility, indicative effects, and adaptability of the Strong Families program. This pilot project was conducted between June and July 2024 in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Mae Hong...
Antenatal care (ANC) is crucial for reducing maternal and neonatal mortality by identifying and managing complications early during pregnancy. In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) updated its guidelines, recommending a minimum of eight ANC visits to improve maternal health outcomes. Despite Jordan’s efforts to enhance maternal healthcare, disparities in ANC utilization...
This study's goal was to investigate the long-term association between cancer risk and depression symptom trajectories, highlighting the need for dynamic evaluation of depressive symptoms across time. Data from 42,911 participants were drawn from two population-based cohorts: the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) from US and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). The...
Self-reported data on body height and weight have often been used as an alternative when standardized measurements in large population-based examination surveys were not feasible. The timeliness and source of self-reported body height and weight information is often unknown. The aim of this analysis was to understand how up-to-date the self-reported data on body height and weight...
Fear of falling (FoF) and depression substantially affect the health outcomes of older adults. Previous studies have established an association between FoF and depression; however, the moderating role of social capital in this relationship remains underexplored. We aimed to investigate the moderating effect of social capital on the relationship between FoF and depressive symptoms...
Tramadol misuse poses a significant public health and safety risk globally. However, research on this topic is limited in informal settlements, particularly among youth in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We assessed the trends, frequency, and social factors associated with the severity of Tramadol misuse among the youth residing in urban informal settlements in Ghana. Cross-sectional...
Worldwide, cocaine use has increased over the past decade and availability is very high by historical standards. People who use cocaine are exposed to physical and mental health risks. Prevention activities for this group traditionally focus on harm reduction, but research suggests there are opportunities for the deployment of interventions aimed at the reduction or cessation of...
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has highlighted that quality physical education (QPE) can lead to a more active lifestyle for adolescents. However, previous studies have not explored the relationship between students’ perceptions of QPE and physical activity (PA). According to Bandura’s social cognitive theory, self-efficacy plays a crucial...
Lung Cancer is one of the four most frequent malignant neoplasms in the world, and first in mortality. In 2020, lung cancer resulted in roughly 1.8 million deaths globally. Lung cancer is a major public health problem in low and lower-middle income countries, where high rates of tobacco smoking, environmental pollution, and limited access to healthcare resources contribute to a...
Tuberculosis (TB)-specific interventions directly benefit people affected by the disease and their families, as they are integrated into existing TB treatment programs. Conversely, TB-sensitive interventions form part of a broader social protection framework aimed at the general population. We conducted a meta-analysis of specific and sensitive interventions of social protection...
The excess readmission ratio (ERR) is currently used to determine penalties for hospitals with excessive readmission rates. To determine whether the effectiveness of alternative measures, such as the Risk-Standardized Readmission Rate (RSRR), or Excess Days in Acute Care (EDAC), or differences between paired measures, would provide comparable or superior assessments. A...
Alcohol use accounts for a huge proportion of the global burden of disease, and many countries grapple with its severe negative social and health consequences. In 2018, Zambia adopted a national alcohol policy with the aim to reduce the prevalence and impact of harmful alcohol use. However, five years post-adoption, the policy implementation has been slow. This study sought to...
Promoting favourable beverages to children remains a public health priority, and schools are essential in reducing nutritional disparities. The study aimed to describe the baseline characteristics of schools and children included in the DRINK trial, and to examine disparities in children’s usual beverage consumption. The study is a cross-sectional analysis of data collected at...