scholarly journals A behavioral approach to personalizing public health

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
KAI RUGGERI ◽  
AMEL BENZERGA ◽  
SANNE VERRA ◽  
TOMAS FOLKE
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Behavioral Approach ◽  
Attendance Rates ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Disadvantaged Populations ◽  
Adaptive Interventions ◽  
Insurance Choice ◽  
Modern Analytical

Abstract Behavioral policies are increasingly popular in a number of health care contexts. However, evidence of their effectiveness, specifically in low-income and highly disadvantaged populations, is limited. Some positive effects have been found for adaptive interventions, which merge more personalized approaches with advances in data collection and modern analytical methods. These approaches have only recently become feasible, as their implementation requires a confluence of large-scale datasets, contemporary machine learning, and validated behavioral insights. Such methods have considerable potential to improve outcomes without requiring substantial increases in effort on the part of individuals. Using examples from health insurance choice, clinical attendance rates, and prescription of medicines, we present an argument for how adaptive approaches, especially those considering disadvantaged populations explicitly, offer an opportunity to generate equity in public health.

scholarly journals Policy and Science for Global Health Security: Shaping the Course of International Health

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kavita Berger ◽  
James Wood ◽  
Bonnie Jenkins ◽  
Jennifer Olsen ◽  
Stephen Morse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
International Health ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Health Security ◽  
Public Health Decision

The global burden of infectious diseases and the increased attention to natural, accidental, and deliberate biological threats has resulted in significant investment in infectious disease research. Translating the results of these studies to inform prevention, detection, and response efforts often can be challenging, especially if prior relationships and communications have not been established with decision-makers. Whatever scientific information is shared with decision-makers before, during, and after public health emergencies is highly dependent on the individuals or organizations who are communicating with policy-makers. This article briefly describes the landscape of stakeholders involved in information-sharing before and during emergencies. We identify critical gaps in translation of scientific expertise and results, and biosafety and biosecurity measures to public health policy and practice with a focus on One Health and zoonotic diseases. Finally, we conclude by exploring ways of improving communication and funding, both of which help to address the identified gaps. By leveraging existing scientific information (from both the natural and social sciences) in the public health decision-making process, large-scale outbreaks may be averted even in low-income countries.

Supporting Healthy Relationships in Low-Income Couples: Lessons Learned and Policy Implications

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin R. Karney ◽  
Thomas N. Bradbury ◽  
Justin A. Lavner
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
New Policies ◽  
Antipoverty Programs

For the past two decades, policymakers have invested heavily in promoting the quality and stability of intimate relationships in low-income communities. To date, these efforts have emphasized relationship-skills education, but large-scale evaluations of these programs indicate that they have produced negligible benefits. Current policies are limited by their unfounded assumption that low-income couples have needs similar to more affluent couples. In contrast, recent research finds that financially disadvantaged environments confront low-income couples with unique challenges in maintaining intimacy. Rather than skills training, these couples need policies that address the real circumstances that affect their day-to-day well-being. Preliminary evidence from military families and antipoverty programs suggests that providing couples with financial security may have indirect positive effects on their relationships. New policies that promote financial well-being may be more effective at supporting low-income couples than interventions targeting relationships directly.

Vitamin D as a factor for improving the quality of life in women after 50 years (literature review)

GYNECOLOGY ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 48-50
Author(s):  
Tatyana Yu. Pestrikova ◽  
Elena A. Yurasova ◽  
Tatyana P. Knyazeva
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Vitamin D3 ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Menopausal Syndrome ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Wide Range

Relevance. Public health is one of the key factors in the development of the economy and at the same time an objective indicator of quality of life. Currently, the number of women over 50 years old is progressively increasing, and their growing social inclusion will determine the desire for active and healthy longevity. In this regard, the public health policy in the country should follow the path of increasingly large-scale financing of projects of a healthy lifestyle, not concentrating expenses only on medical care. Aim. Analysis of literature on the feasibility of using vitamin D as a factor that improves the quality of life of women in the perimenopausal period and in menopause. Materials and methods. To write this review, we searched for domestic and foreign publications in Russian and international search engines (PubMed, eLIBRARY, etc.) over the past 20 years. The review included articles from peer-reviewed literature. Results. The review outlines a wide range of biological properties of vitamin D involved in the regulation of many important physiological functions. The negative effect of vitamin D deficiency is presented not only on the development of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, but also on the increase in the severity of menopausal syndrome. It has been established that the use of colecalciferol (vitamin D3) in combination with menopausal hormone therapy contributes to the normalization of carbohydrate, lipid and calcium phosphorus metabolism, improves the neuropsychic state of patients, which makes it possible to actively use colecalciferol in routine clinical practice in menopausal syndrome. Conclusions. Numerous positive effects of colecalciferol (vitamin D3) allow the use of the drug as a means to increase social adaptation, and, consequently, improve the quality of life.

scholarly journals Improving College Access and Success for Low-Income Students: Evidence from a Large Need-Based Grant Program

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabrielle Fack ◽  
Julien Grenet
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
College Enrollment ◽  
Low Income Students ◽  
Enrollment Decisions ◽  
Grant Programs ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Grant Program ◽  
Enrollment Rates ◽  
The Impact

Using comprehensive administrative data on France's single largest financial aid program, this paper provides new evidence on the impact of large-scale need-based grant programs on the college enrollment decisions, persistence, and graduation rates of low-income students. We exploit sharp discontinuities in the grant eligibility formula to identify the impact of aid on student outcomes at different levels of study. We find that the provision of 1,500 euros cash allowances to prospective undergraduate or graduate students increases their college enrollment rates by 5 to 7 percent. Moreover, we show that need-based grants have positive effects on student persistence and degree completion. (JEL H52, I22, I24, I28, J24)

Eating NAFTA

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alyshia Gálvez
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Chronic Disease ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Food System ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Trade Agreement ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The North ◽  
The World

In the two decades since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) went into effect, Mexico has seen an epidemic of diet-related illness. While globalization has been associated with an increase in chronic disease around the world, in Mexico, the speed and scope of the rise has been called a public health emergency. The shift in Mexican foodways is happening at a moment when the country’s ancestral cuisine is now more popular and appreciated around the world than ever. What does it mean for their health and well-being when many Mexicans eat fewer tortillas and more instant noodles, while global elites demand tacos made with handmade corn tortillas? This book examines the transformation of the Mexican food system since NAFTA and how it has made it harder for people to eat as they once did. The book contextualizes NAFTA within Mexico’s approach to economic development since the Revolution, noticing the role envisioned for rural and low-income people in the path to modernization. Examination of anti-poverty and public health policies in Mexico reveal how it has become easier for people to consume processed foods and beverages, even when to do so can be harmful to health. The book critiques Mexico’s strategy for addressing the public health crisis generated by rising rates of chronic disease for blaming the dietary habits of those whose lives have been upended by the economic and political shifts of NAFTA.

Planetary gentrification and urban (re)development

2019 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loretta Lees
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Urban Redevelopment ◽  
Urban Transformation ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Income Groups ◽  
Low Income Groups

Abstract Gentrification is no-longer, if it ever was, a small scale process of urban transformation. Gentrification globally is more often practised as large scale urban redevelopment. It is state-led or state-induced. The results are clear – the displacement and disenfranchisement of low income groups in favour of wealthier in-movers. So, why has gentrification come to dominate policy making worldwide and what can be done about it?

“cool and clean”: does prevention of substance abuse work in sport?

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Substance Abuse ◽  
General Population ◽  
Prevention Programme ◽  
High Expectations ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Umbrella Organisation ◽  
International Attention ◽  
National Prevention ◽  
Preventive Effects

There is a strong belief among the general population that sport has positive effects. However, only some preventive effects of sport meet these high expectations. Numerous studies have specifically shown that sport does not protect people from the consumption of legal and illegal drugs such as alcohol, tobacco and cannabis. For this reason, the umbrella organisation of Swiss sports associations (Swiss Olympic), the Federal Office of Sport (FOSPO) and the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) teamed up as early as 2003 and launched the “cool and clean” prevention programme. Over the last 14 years, it has developed into Switzerland’s largest national prevention programme and has also attracted international attention. This article summarizes how “cool and clean” works and what the programme achieved so far.

The Swiss Prison Study (SWIPS): Protocol for Establishing a Public Health Registry of Prisoners in Switzerland (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Gaisl ◽  
Naser Musli ◽  
Patrick Baumgartner ◽  
Marc Meier ◽  
Silvana K Rampini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Medical History ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
International Classification Of Diseases ◽  
Disease Prevalence ◽  
Vulnerable Population ◽  
International Classification ◽  
Classification Of Diseases ◽  
Health Registry

BACKGROUND The health aspects, disease frequencies, and specific health interests of prisoners and refugees are poorly understood. Importantly, access to the health care system is limited for this vulnerable population. There has been no systematic investigation to understand the health issues of inmates in Switzerland. Furthermore, little is known on how recent migration flows in Europe may have affected the health conditions of inmates. OBJECTIVE The Swiss Prison Study (SWIPS) is a large-scale observational study with the aim of establishing a public health registry in northern-central Switzerland. The primary objective is to establish a central database to assess disease prevalence (ie, International Classification of Diseases-10 codes [German modification]) among prisoners. The secondary objectives include the following: (1) to compare the 2015 versus 2020 disease prevalence among inmates against a representative sample from the local resident population, (2) to assess longitudinal changes in disease prevalence from 2015 to 2020 by using cross-sectional medical records from all inmates at the Police Prison Zurich, Switzerland, and (3) to identify unrecognized health problems to prepare successful public health strategies. METHODS Demographic and health-related data such as age, sex, country of origin, duration of imprisonment, medication (including the drug name, brand, dosage, and release), and medical history (including the International Classification of Diseases-10 codes [German modification] for all diagnoses and external results that are part of the medical history in the prison) have been deposited in a central register over a span of 5 years (January 2015 to August 2020). The final cohort is expected to comprise approximately 50,000 to 60,000 prisoners from the Police Prison Zurich, Switzerland. RESULTS This study was approved on August 5, 2019 by the ethical committee of the Canton of Zurich with the registration code KEK-ZH No. 2019-01055 and funded in August 2020 by the “Walter and Gertrud Siegenthaler” foundation and the “Theodor and Ida Herzog-Egli” foundation. This study is registered with the International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number registry. Data collection started in August 2019 and results are expected to be published in 2021. Findings will be disseminated through scientific papers as well as presentations and public events. CONCLUSIONS This study will construct a valuable database of information regarding the health of inmates and refugees in Swiss prisons and will act as groundwork for future interventions in this vulnerable population. CLINICALTRIAL ISRCTN registry ISRCTN11714665; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN11714665 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/23973

scholarly journals Public Health Workforce Burnout in the COVID-19 Response in the U.S.

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 4369
Author(s):  
Kahler W. Stone ◽  
Kristina W. Kintziger ◽  
Meredith A. Jagger ◽  
Jennifer A. Horney
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The U.S

While the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline health care workers have been well described, the effects of the COVID-19 response on the U.S. public health workforce, which has been impacted by the prolonged public health response to the pandemic, has not been adequately characterized. A cross-sectional survey of public health professionals was conducted to assess mental and physical health, risk and protective factors for burnout, and short- and long-term career decisions during the pandemic response. The survey was completed online using the Qualtrics survey platform. Descriptive statistics and prevalence ratios (95% confidence intervals) were calculated. Among responses received from 23 August and 11 September 2020, 66.2% of public health workers reported burnout. Those with more work experience (1–4 vs. <1 years: prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.08−3.36; 5–9 vs. <1 years: PR = 1.89, CI = 1.07−3.34) or working in academic settings (vs. practice: PR = 1.31, CI = 1.08–1.58) were most likely to report burnout. As of September 2020, 23.6% fewer respondents planned to remain in the U.S. public health workforce for three or more years compared to their retrospectively reported January 2020 plans. A large-scale public health emergency response places unsustainable burdens on an already underfunded and understaffed public health workforce. Pandemic-related burnout threatens the U.S. public health workforce’s future when many challenges related to the ongoing COVID-19 response remain unaddressed.

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