scholarly journals Overcoming the gap between professional domains: A Dutch case study tackling childhood obesity

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
L A M van de Goor ◽  
M van Mil ◽  
SAA de Laat ◽  
M A M Jacobs ◽  
E G van Mil
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Childhood Overweight ◽  
Shared Vision ◽  
Intersectoral Collaboration ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Structural Factors ◽  
Professional Collaboration ◽  
Daily Work ◽  
Facilitating Factors ◽  
Local Health Policy

Abstract Background and Aim In the Netherlands about one in seven 1- to 11-year-old children are overweight. The multifaceted nature of childhood overweight requires joining forces across the medical, social and public sector. This study evaluated an integrated network approach of preventive care (INPC) for overweight children focusing on the process of intersectoral professional collaboration. Methods Fourteen network partners from the three sectors were interviewed face to face with semi-structured topic lists to determine the extent of collaboration in and outside sectors, the perceived outcomes and the hindering and facilitating factors. Results Collaboration within each sector was adequately established and all partners were in contact with the central care provider who functions as linking pin in the INPC. However, collaboration across sectors was not optimally realized. Both the medical and public domain partners indicated to have minimal contact with professional partners from the social domain, while they were perceived important in the INPC. Main hindering factors were related to the complexity of the childhood overweight problem, a lack of knowledge about network partners, unclarity in referrals, feedback, roles and responsibilities. In addition, frequent changes in policy, in personnel, lacking a visible leader, funding and time, were also hindering. Facilitating factors were: a general positive attitude towards intersectoral collaboration, knowing each other, short communication lines, a shared vision, trusting each other's expertise, and also formalized agreements and local health policy, and periodic meetings with partners. Conclusions Realizing professional collaboration across domains to tackle childhood overweight requires specific attention to structural factors enabling professionals to do so in their daily work. Stable funding and policies, clear responsibilities on the one side, getting to know each other, trust and positive attitudes on the other. Key messages An integrated approach for childhood overweight requires professionals to work across borders. However, in daily practice professionals experience structural factors hindering such collaboration. The functioning of networks linking professionals from public health, medical and social domains, essential in preventing childhood overweight, requires specific attention for organizational aspects.

scholarly journals A multilevel transition perspective on embedding intersectoral action in local health policies

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabina Super ◽  
Laurens W A Klerkx ◽  
Niels Hermens ◽  
Maria A Koelen
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Social Practice ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Intersectoral Collaboration ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Intersectoral Action ◽  
Local Health Policy

Summary Intersectoral action is advocated as a social practice that can effectively address health inequalities and related social issues. Existing knowledge provides insight into factors that may facilitate or hinder successful intersectoral action, but not much is known about how intersectoral action evolves and becomes embedded in local health policies. This is where this study aims to make its contribution, by adopting the multilevel perspective on transitions, which is increasingly used to study social innovation in sustainability transitions but has not yet been applied to public health and health promotion. Through this perspective, it was unravelled how intersectoral action between youth-care organizations and community sports clubs became embedded in local health policies of Rotterdam, a large city in the Netherlands. A single explorative case study was conducted based on content analysis of policy documents and 15 in-depth interviews with policy officers, managers and field workers operating in the fields of youth and sports in Rotterdam. The findings showed that intersectoral action between community organizations and policymakers evolves through congruent processes at different levels that changed institutional logics. Moreover, it emerged that policymakers and other actors that advocate novel social practices and act as boundary spanners can adopt multiple strategies to embed these practices in local health policy. The multi-level perspective adds value to earlier approaches to research intersectoral collaboration for health promotion as it allows to better capture the politics involved in the social innovation processes. However, further sharpening and more comprehensive application of transition concepts to study transitions in public health and health promotion is needed.

Pandemic impact boosts Latin American food insecurity

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
North America ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Central America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Informal Employment ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Structural Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Caribbean

Significance While the pandemic undoubtedly played a significant role, the situation also resulted from structural factors and was worsened by LAC’s high levels of economic inequality. Impacts Deteriorating food security will put further pressure on local health systems at a time when the pandemic is far from over. The prevalence of informal employment will make much of the population vulnerable to food insecurity as their income remains uncertain. The situation will add to the factors that fuel migration from Central America and the Caribbean towards North America.

The determination of data collection tools that can measure and document the cooperation of local health care providers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beáta Erika Nagy ◽  
Róza Oláh ◽  
Erika Zombor ◽  
Péter Boris ◽  
Anna Szabina Szele
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Improvement ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Daily Work ◽  
Local Health Care ◽  
Institutional Relations

Abstract Background The overall objective of the study is to improve the mental health of the age group below 18 years through the investigation of the intra-and inter-sectoral cooperation between local suppliers and to make the intensity and quality of collaborations measurable. In this paper, based on Hungarian and international literature, we aim at describing the current and future optimal cooperation between the members of the mental health care system and examine the possibilities for documenting and measuring cooperation. Methods Semi-structured interviews were recorded with the leaders or representatives of 12 public educational institutions, six social and six health institutions involvement of the relevant experts (N = 24). Results The function of the institutions belonging to these systems, as well as the daily work of the professionals working there, have a significant impact on the mental health of children in either positive or negative directions. After exploring the current situation, the cooperation of local suppliers and inter-institutional relations can highly increase the mental health improvement of the youth. Conclusion According to the results, the developing progress can be more effective through organising the different forms of care, sectors and professionals together to achieve a common goal.

scholarly journals A set of pedagogical recommendations for improving the integrated approach to childhood obesity

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
E L M Ruiter ◽  
G R M Molleman ◽  
G A J Fransen ◽  
M Wagenaar ◽  
K van der Velden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Screen Time ◽  
Parenting Practices ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Childhood Overweight ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Convenient Tool ◽  
Modified Delphi ◽  
Sweetened Beverages ◽  
Varied Diet

Abstract Background Studies increasingly emphasize the importance of the parents’ role in interventions designed to prevent overweight in children. The aim of this study was to develop a unified set of recommendations for healthy parenting practices that can be applied by all professionals who work with children age 4-13 years and can contribute to strengthening the integrated approach to childhood overweight. Methods A modified Delphi procedure was used to reach consensus regarding what these pedagogical recommendations should encompass. The 30 panelists were professionals and researchers who work with children in the domains of health care, overweight, parenting, education, nutrition, and/or sports. The procedure consisted of: i) extracting existing pedagogical recommendations from national guidelines and professional protocols, ii) appraising and prioritizing these recommendations in terms of relevance through two rounds of questionnaires, and iii) meeting to discuss and approve the set of recommendations. Results Consensus was reached for one set of eleven pedagogical theme-based recommendations designed to support and instruct parents how to stimulate healthy energy balance-related behaviors in their child. Each recommendation contained information regarding: i) which behaviors are important, ii) why this is important, and iii) how parents can stimulate this behavior by applying parenting skills. The eleven themes were: modeling, positive parenting, breakfast, varied diet, sugar-sweetened beverages, snacks, physical activity, playing sports, quantity of screen time, screen time during meals, and sleep. Conclusions We developed a set of recommendations for healthy parenting that can be used by various professionals working with children age 4-13 and can contribute to creating an integrated approach to childhood overweight. We also developed a web-based app called “Recommendations for Healthy Parenting” as a convenient tool for following these recommendations. Key messages Our set of recommendations for healthy parenting can be used by various professionals who work with school-aged children, thereby helping strengthen the integrated approach to childhood overweight. We developed and released a Dutch web app entitled “11 Recommendations for Healthy Parenting” to provide a convenient tool for easily communicating these recommendations to parents.

scholarly journals Building a Comprehensive System of Services to Support Adults Living with Long-Term Mechanical Ventilation

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Leasa ◽  
Stephen Elson
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Ventilation ◽  
Operations Management ◽  
Hospital Admissions ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
System Of Care ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Implementation Planning

Background.Increasing numbers of individuals require long-term mechanical ventilation (LTMV) in the community. In the South West Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) in Ontario, multiple organizations have come together to design, build, and operate a system to serve adults living with LTMV.Objective.The goal was to develop an integrated approach to meet the health and supportive care needs of adults living with LTMV.Methods.The project was undertaken in three phases: System Design, Implementation Planning, and Implementation.Results.There are both qualitative and quantitative evidences that a multiorganizational system of care is now operational and functioning in a way that previously did not exist. An Oversight Committee and an Operations Management Committee currently support the system of services. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by the participating organizations. There is case-based evidence that hospital admissions are being avoided, transitions in care are being thoughtfully planned and executed collaboratively among service providers, and new roles and responsibilities are being accepted within the overall system of care.Conclusion.Addressing the complex and variable needs of adults living with LTMV requires a systems response involving the full continuum of care.

scholarly journals Towards Health in All Policies for Childhood Obesity Prevention

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna-Marie Hendriks ◽  
Stef P. J. Kremers ◽  
Jessica S. Gubbels ◽  
Hein Raat ◽  
Nanne K. de Vries ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Organizational Structures ◽  
Intersectoral Collaboration ◽  
Health In All Policies ◽  
Obesity Epidemic ◽  
Health Goals

The childhood obesity epidemic can be best tackled by means of an integrated approach, which is enabled by integrated public health policies, orHealth in All Policies. Integrated policies are developed through intersectoral collaboration between local government policy makers from health and nonhealth sectors. Suchintersectoral collaborationhas been proved to be difficult. In this study, we investigated which resources influence intersectoral collaboration. Thebehavior change wheelframework was used to categorize motivation-, capability-, and opportunity-related resources for intersectoral collaboration. In-depth interviews were held with eight officials representing 10 non-health policy sectors within a local government. Results showed that health and non-health policy sectors did not share policy goals, which decreased motivation for intersectoral collaboration. Awareness of the linkage between health and nonhealth policy sectors was limited, and management was not involved in creating such awareness, which reduced the capability for intersectoral collaboration. Insufficient organizational resources and structures reduced opportunities for intersectoral collaboration. To stimulate intersectoral collaboration to prevent childhood obesity, we recommend that public health professionals should reframe health goals in the terminology of nonhealth policy sectors, that municipal department managers should increase awareness of public health in non-health policy sectors, and that flatter organizational structures should be established.

scholarly journals Identification of Risk Areas for Intestinal Schistosomiasis, Based on Malacological and Environmental Data and on Reported Human Cases

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo R. S. Coelho ◽  
Fabrício T. O. Ker ◽  
Amanda D. Araújo ◽  
Ricardo. J. P. S. Guimarães ◽  
Deborah A. Negrão-Corrêa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Ecological Model ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Transmission Risk ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Temperature And Precipitation ◽  
Risk Areas ◽  
Risk Maps

The aim of the present study was to use an integrated approach for the identification of risk areas for Schistosoma mansoni transmission in an area of low endemicity in Minas Gerais, Brazil. For that, areas of distribution of Biomphalaria glabrata were identified and were related to environmental variables and communities with reported schistosomiasis cases, in order to determine the risk of infection by spatial analyses with predictive models. The research was carried out in the municipality of Alvorada de Minas, with data obtained between the years 2017 and 2019 inclusive. The Google Earth Engine was used to obtain geo-climatic variables (temperature, precipitation, vegetation index and digital elevation model), R software to determine Pearson's correlation and MaxEnt software to obtain an ecological model. ArcGis Software was used to create maps with data spatialization and risk maps, using buffer models (diameters: 500, 1,000 and 1,500 m) and CoKriging. Throughout the municipality, 46 collection points were evaluated. Of these, 14 presented snails of the genus Biomphalaria. Molecular analyses identified the presence of different species of Biomphalaria, including B. glabrata. None of the snails eliminated S. mansoni cercariae. The distribution of B. glabrata was more abundant in areas of natural vegetation (forest and cerrado) and, for spatial analysis (Buffer), the main risk areas were identified especially in the main urban area and toward the northern and eastern extensions of the municipality. The distribution of snails correlated with temperature and precipitation, with the latter being the main variable for the ecological model. In addition, the integration of data from malacological surveys, environmental characterization, fecal contamination, and data from communities with confirmed human cases, revealed areas of potential risk for infection in the northern and eastern regions of the municipality. In the present study, information was integrated on epidemiological aspects, transmission and risk areas for schistosomiasis in a small, rural municipality with low endemicity. Such integrated methods have been proposed as important tools for the creation of schistosomiasis transmission risk maps, serve as an example for other communities and can be used for control actions by local health authorities, e.g., indicate priority sectors for sanitation measures.

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