Public Health and Karst Groundwater Contamination: From Multidisciplinary Research to Exposure Prevention

AbstractThis article outlines the historical development in African studies of the sub-discipline of historical epidemiology and the contemporary challenges of understanding infectious disease processes that require integrating biomedical and historical knowledge. It suggests that Africanist historians can play a significant role in collaborative and multidisciplinary research in this field by exploring the histories of disease processes and interventions, and thereby contributing to improvements in public health practice and outcomes.

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Multidisciplinary research in public health: A case study of research on access to green space

Public Health ◽

10.1016/j.puhe.2008.08.005 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 123 (1) ◽

pp. 32-38 ◽

Cited By ~ 60

Author(s):

A. Kessel ◽

J. Green ◽

R. Pinder ◽

P. Wilkinson ◽

C. Grundy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Green Space ◽

Multidisciplinary Research

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Interdisciplinary Research in Public Health: Not quite straightforward

Health Prospect ◽

10.3126/hprospect.v18i1.19337 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 4-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Edwin Roland Van Teijlingen ◽

Pramod R. Regmi ◽

Pratik Adhikary ◽

Nirmal Aryal ◽

Padam Simkhada

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Interdisciplinary Research ◽

Wicked Problems ◽

Research Field ◽

Health Needs ◽

Multidisciplinary Research ◽

Disciplinary Boundaries ◽

The Past ◽

Interdisciplinary Approaches ◽

Health Field

Over the past few years the practice of disciplines collaborating in interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary research has grown in popularity and not just in the health field. In a multi-faceted discipline such as Public Health, interdisciplinary approaches are a welcome addition to the research field. Interdisciplinary research can bring new insights and understanding across disciplinary boundaries. Novel interdisciplinary research can transcend disciplinary boundaries to address sophisticated and so-called wicked problems in society. However, there are potential difficulties arising from researchers trained in different individual disciplines attempting to work together. We have highlighted some of these issues which interdisciplinary research in Public Health needs to consider and, where necessary, address before they become barriers.

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COVID19 PCR Testing and the Unprecedented Institutional Response in a Low-Resource Setting

10.20944/preprints202007.0279.v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Akintunde Orunmuyi ◽

Olukemi Adekanmbi ◽

Adeola Fowotade ◽

Akindele Adebiyi ◽

Adekunle Adeniji ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Socioeconomic Development ◽

Research Capacity ◽

Laboratory Research ◽

Multidisciplinary Research ◽

Public Health Response ◽

Resource Setting ◽

Health Response ◽

Short Period ◽

Set Up

The novel COVID-19 pandemic prompted an unprecedented Institutional reaction to aggregate existing capacity from silos of research laboratories to establish a multidisciplinary research laboratory for COVID19 testing. In less than two weeks, resources were mobilized from the community to strengthen public health response and epidemic control. Such strengthening of institutional research capacity to support public health response contributes to a natural knowledge transfer, facilitates collaboration, and generates new frontiers for knowledge production that should ultimately lead to professional development and retention of skilled human resources. This report describes the pre-established mechanisms and involvement of the authors that made it possible to set-up a multidisciplinary laboratory in a remarkably short period of time. We also discuss the opportunities and sustainability of multidisciplinary laboratory research post-COVID19. Existing institutional capacity can be repurposed to establish multidisciplinary research laboratories to support the strengthening of basic and clinical translational research capacity in resource limited settings and impact on public health and scientific knowledge for socioeconomic development.

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Prospects for delaying the rising tide of worldwide, late-life dementias

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610210001080 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 22 (8) ◽

pp. 1196-1202 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Eric B. Larson

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Late Life ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Vascular Risk ◽

Multidisciplinary Research ◽

Knowledge Based ◽

Health Burdens ◽

Mental Exercise

ABSTRACTWorldwide, lifespan is lengthening. Concomitantly, late-life dementias are increasingly common, challenging both personal and public health internationally. After age 65, rates of dementia tend to double every five years in developed countries and every seven in developing ones. The late-life dementias, particularly Alzheimer's disease, have profound effects on aging individuals and their caregivers. Multidisciplinary research has explored the potential for various approaches to prevent or delay the onset of late-life dementias. Outlining that research, including our team's Adult Changes in Thought and Kame studies, this review concludes that delaying the onset of these dementias appears feasible, although absolute prevention may not be. Today, the most promising methods appear to include controlling vascular risk factors like hypertension and engaging in physical exercise – and possibly mental exercise. If people can delay the onset of dementias, they can lead more fulfilling lives for longer, spending less time suffering from dementia and letting their families spend less time coping with the disease. It is possible that trends toward more knowledge-based societies, where cognitive health is so vital, may increasingly exert evolutionary pressure favoring larger and healthier brains – and a “compression of cognitive morbidity” – well into old age. Public health's great triumph, increased lifespan, should give more of the world's people the reward of many years of dementia-free life. Rather than the personal difficulties and public health burdens of many years of functional impairment, dependency, and suffering with dementia, some interventions may delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

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The efficacy of public health information for encouraging radon gas awareness and testing varies by audience age, sex and profession

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-91479-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Natasha L. Cholowsky ◽

Jesse L. Irvine ◽

Justin A. Simms ◽

Dustin D. Pearson ◽

Weston R. Jacques ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Information ◽

Communication Process ◽

Prevention Strategies ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Radon Exposure ◽

Awareness Information ◽

Exposure Prevention ◽

Public Health Information ◽

Radon Testing

AbstractRadioactive radon inhalation is a leading cause of lung cancer and underlies an ongoing public health crisis. Radon exposure prevention strategies typically begin by informing populations about health effects, and their initial efficacy is measured by how well and how fast information convinces individuals to test properties. This communication process is rarely individualized, and there is little understanding if messages impact diverse demographics equally. Here, we explored how 2,390 people interested in radon testing differed in their reaction to radon's public health information and their subsequent decision to test. Only 20% were prompted to radon test after 1 encounter with awareness information, while 65% required 2–5 encounters over several months, and 15% needed 6 to > 10 encounters over many years. People who most delayed testing were more likely to be men or involved in engineering, architecture, real estate and/or physical science-related professions. Social pressures were not a major factor influencing radon testing. People who were the least worried about radon health risks were older and/or men, while negative emotional responses to awareness information were reported more by younger people, women and/or parents. This highlights the importance of developing targeted demographic messaging to create effective radon exposure prevention strategies.

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