scholarly journals Skills building seminar: How can data on adolescents’ health behavior contribute to public health policies? Lessons from HBSC

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Behaviour ◽  
Health Behaviours ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Public Health Perspective ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Research And Policy

Abstract Adolescents (10-19) are usually thought of as rather healthy and as low users of health care compared with other age groups. Nevertheless, adolescence is a crucial and challenging transitional journey towards adult life, a time when protective health behaviours and the value of a healthy lifestyle can be adopted, or not, depending on complex interactions between determinants and individual factors. Integration of young people’s health in all policies and research agendas is crucial, beyond the health sector, and keeping in mind the needs to reduce health inequalities and to ensure equitable access to services, in a broad Public health perspective. However, Public health policies targeting young people cannot be fully relevant and efficient if they do not rely on quality data collected among young people, on their health and their health behaviours. Under the auspices of WHO, the Health behaviour in School-aged children (HBSC) survey collects data among 11-13 and 15 years-old students since 1982, in a growing number of mostly European countries, every 4 years, through anonymous self-completed questionnaires filled in in class, using shared validated instruments and methods. Our workshop aims at showing how data collected among adolescents, by improving our understanding of their health and health behaviours as well as their determinants and settings, can be used to inform and improve policies at national level. HBSC will be used as an exemple, because of its longevity, breadth, expertise, reputation and uniqueness in the field of adolescent health. Five contrasted experiences will be presented, illustrating the relevance of linking scientific evidence and policy relevance in a Public health perspective. They have been chosen to offer various perspectives in terms of countries (Ireland, Luxembourg, Israel, UK), topics (well-being, suicide, substance-use, school-health), and levels of links between research and policy. All presenters are skilled researchers, have a longstanding experience of conducting the HBSC survey and they share a strong interest in linking with policy makers in advocating the improvement of the health and well-being of the adolescents in their country. Because they all work on the same population (adolescents), and mainly work on the same survey (HBSC), the presentations and debates will start from a common ground, saving space and time to really illustrate how health behaviour data can inform Public health policies. The presenters should give contrasted perspectives, without denying their failures and difficulties, to engage with the audience for a wider discussion, towards a better partnership between research and policy. Key messages There are national examples that illustrate that research on adolescents’ health behaviour can inform Public health policy targeted at this specific population and improve its health and well-being. Networking and exchanging on failures and success through case studies can provide perspectives to other teams and countries on how to better build the link between researchers and policy makers.

scholarly journals 24.I. Workshop: Maximize impacts of research on public health policies: examples from the HBSC international study

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Health Behaviour ◽  
Health Behaviours ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Public Health Perspective ◽  
Public Health Policies

Abstract Adolescence is a crucial and challenging transition between childhood and adulthood with its own specificities. A time when protective health behaviours and healthy lifestyles can be valued and adopted, or criticized and rejected, depending on complex interactions between contextual and individual factors. Even if overall adolescence can be seen as the period where individuals are the healthiest and the lowest users of health care. However, integration of young people's health in all policies and research agendas should remain of upmost importance, with a strong emphasis given to reducing social and health inequalities and inequities, in a broad public health perspective. In any case, public health policies targeting young people cannot be fully relevant and efficient if they do not rely on quality data collected among them, taking their voices into account as much as possible. Contrasted national examples will be shared to illustrate the benefits of linking scientific evidence to stakeholders’ expectations, policy relevance, in a public health perspective. Since 1982 the Health behaviour in School-aged children (HBSC) survey collects data among 11, 13- and 15-year-old students, in a growing number of mostly European countries (50 in 2020), under the auspices of WHO. Every 4 years, through anonymous self-completed questionnaires filled in in class, using shared validated instruments and methods, new data is collected. This workshop aims at sharing contrasted national case studies (different countries -Ireland, France, Portugal, Poland, Lebanon- & different perspectives and topics: nutrition, tobacco-use, child participation, partnership) illustrating how data, collected among school-children can be used to inform and improve policies targeted at adolescents in the field of health, health behaviours well-being and their determinants, in partnership with different bodies and stakeholders. All presentations will rely on data collected through the HBSC survey, whose longevity, scope, expertise & reputation are unique in the field of adolescent health. Presenters belong to teams that have a longstanding experience of research on adolescents and in conducting the HBSC survey and share a strong interest in promoting the improvement of the health and well-being of the adolescents in their country, through interacting with various stakeholders including young people, teachers, principals, parents and policy makers. The presentations and debates will start from a common ground (HBSC), allowing for more time to be devoted on how to maximize the impact of research on Public health policies and the involvement of stakeholders in data valorization. Key messages Research findings on adolescents’ health and health behaviour can be shared with and used by stakeholders and be an asset for public health policies targeting young people. National case studies different in scopes & ambitions but relying on the same international project can be used to debate with other teams & countries around improving links between research & policy.

scholarly journals NeMoR: a New Method Based on Data-Driven for Neonatal Mortality Rate Forecasting

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Eduardo Beluzo ◽  
Luciana Correia Alves ◽  
Natália Martins Arruda ◽  
Cátia Sepetauskas ◽  
Everton Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Machine Learning ◽  
Neonatal Mortality ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Neonatal Mortality Rate ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Public Health Policies

ABSTRACTReduction in child mortality is one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. In Brazil, despite recent reduction in child mortality in the last decades, the neonatal mortality is a persistent problem and it is associated with the quality of prenatal, childbirth care and social-environmental factors. In a proper health system, the effect of some of these factors could be minimized by the appropriate number of newborn intensive care units, number of health care units, number of neonatal incubators and even by the correct level of instruction of mothers, which can lead to a proper care along the prenatal period. With the intent of providing knowledge resources for planning public health policies focused on neonatal mortality reduction, we propose a new data-driven machine leaning method for Neonatal Mortality Rate forecasting called NeMoR, which predicts neonatal mortality rates for 4 months ahead, using NeoDeathForecast, a monthly base time series dataset composed by these factors and by neonatal mortality rates history (2006-2016), having 57,816 samples, for all 438 Brazilian administrative health regions. In order to build the model, Extra-Tree, XGBoost Regressor, Gradient Boosting Regressor and Lasso machine learning regression models were evaluated and a hyperparameters search was also performed as a fine tune step. The method has been validated using São Paulo city data, mainly because of data quality. On the better configuration the method predicted the neonatal mortality rates with a Mean Square Error lower than 0.18. Besides that, the forecast results may be useful as it provides a way for policy makers to anticipate trends on neonatal mortality rates curves, an important resource for planning public health policies.Graphical AbstractHighlightsProposition of a new data-driven approach for neonatal mortality rate forecast, which provides a way for policy-makers to anticipate trends on neonatal mortality rates curves, making a better planning of health policies focused on NMR reduction possible;a method for NMR forecasting with a MSE lower than 0.18;an extensive evaluation of different Machine Learning (ML) regression models, as well as hyperparameters search, which accounts for the last stage in NeMoR;a new time series database for NMR prediction problems;a new features projection space for NMR forecasting problems, which considerably reduces errors in NRM prediction.

scholarly journals Formulating evidence-based public health policies: A guide to policy makers

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
SaurabhR Shrivastava ◽  
PrateekS Shrivastava ◽  
Jegadeesh Ramasamy
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Public Health Policies

Communicating the Public Health Risks of Climate Change

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melinda R. Weathers ◽  
Edward Maibach ◽  
Matthew Nisbet
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Public Health Community ◽  
Health Organizations ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Community ◽  
Public Health Organizations ◽  
Health And Well Being

Effective public communication and engagement have played important roles in ameliorating and managing a wide range of public health problems including tobacco and substance use, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS, vaccine preventable diseases, sudden infant death syndrome, and automobile injuries and fatalities. The public health community must harness what has been learned about effective public communication to alert and engage the public and policy makers about the health threats of climate change. This need is driven by three main factors. First, people’s health is already being harmed by climate change, and the magnitude of this harm is almost certain to get much worse if effective actions are not soon taken to limit climate change and to help communities successfully adapt to unavoidable changes in their climate. Therefore, public health organizations and professionals have a responsibility to inform communities about these risks and how they can be averted. Second, historically, climate change public engagement efforts have focused primarily on the environmental dimensions of the threat. These efforts have mobilized an important but still relatively narrow range of the public and policy makers. In contrast, the public health community holds the potential to engage a broader range of people, thereby enhancing climate change understanding and decision-making capacity among members of the public, the business community, and government officials. Third, many of the actions that slow or prevent climate change, and that protect human health from the harms associated with climate change, also benefit health and well-being in ways unrelated to climate change. These “cobenefits” to societal action on climate change include reduced air and water pollution, increased physical activity and decreased obesity, reduced motor-vehicle–related injuries and death, increased social capital in and connections across communities, and reduced levels of depression. Therefore, from a public health perspective, actions taken to address climate change are a “win-win” in that in addition to responsibly addressing climate change, they can help improve public health and well-being in other ways as well. Over the past half decade, U.S.-based researchers have been investigating the factors that shape public views about the health risks associated with climate change, the communication strategies that motivate support for actions to reduce these risks, and the practical implications for public health organizations and professionals who seek to effectively engage individuals and their communities. This research serves as a model for similar work that can be conducted across country settings and international publics. Until only recently, the voices of public health experts have been largely absent from the public dialogue on climate change, a dialogue that is often erroneously framed as an “economy versus the environment” debate. Introducing the public health voice into the public dialogue can help communities see the issue in a new light, motivating and promoting more thoughtful decision making.

scholarly journals A Review of Cases of Marijuana and Violence

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 1578
Author(s):  
Norman S. Miller ◽  
Redon Ipeku ◽  
Thersilla Oberbarnscheidt
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
The United States ◽  
Personality Change ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Public Health Perspective ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Loss Of Contact

Marijuana is the most consumed illicit drug in the world, with over 192 million users. Due to the current legalization push of marijuana in the United States, there has been a lack of oversight regarding its public health policies, as marijuana advocates downplay the drug’s negative effects. This paper’s approach is from a public health perspective, focusing specifically on the cases of violence amongst some marijuana users. Here, we present 14 cases of violence with chronic marijuana users that highlight reoccurring consequences of: marijuana induced paranoia (exaggerated, unfounded distrust) and marijuana induced psychosis (radical personality change, loss of contact with reality). When individuals suffering from pre-existing medical conditions use marijuana in an attempt to alleviate their symptoms, ultimately this worsens their conditions over time. Although marijuana effects depend on the individual’s endocannabinoid receptors (which control behavioral functions, like aggression) and the potency level of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the drug, scientifically documented links between certain marijuana users and violence do exist. Wider public awareness of the risks and side effects of marijuana, as well as a more prudent health policy, and government agency monitoring of the drug’s composition, creation, and distribution, are needed and recommended.

scholarly journals Using Implementation Science to Inform and Evaluate Health Policy

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 50-50
Author(s):  
Julie Bobitt ◽  
Beth Prusaczyk
Keyword(s):  
Implementation Science ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Policy Diffusion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Dissemination And Implementation ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Public health policies can be a tool for the promotion and protection of older adult’s well-being but how can we ensure that policies will be effective and applied as intended? This presentation will discuss how implementation science can be used to both inform and evaluate health policies. Scientific evidence developed by applying dissemination and implementation frameworks can be used to inform policy makers as they develop legislation. When used to evaluate policy, D&I frameworks can be applied to examine policy diffusion, how a state, community, or individual organization chooses to carry out the policy, and the impact that policy has on the intended population. D&I frameworks are an effective way to measure the difference between policy intent and what actually happens when a policy is implemented. Examples of how D&I frameworks have been used to inform and evaluate policy will be shared.

scholarly journals The EU Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Knowledge Gateway

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
I Bakogianni
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Disease Prevention ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
The Eu

Abstract Issue/ problem Unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, alcohol and tobacco use are leading risk factors for non-communicable diseases. They are all modifiable and health promotion policies can support that. Description of the problem However, information overload, controversies and uncertainties, budget constraints and difficulties in balancing disparate interests are common challenges that can hamper action by policy makers in the field of public health. To support them, the European Commission has created the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Knowledge Gateway. It is a reference point for independent and reliable information to assist policy making; it summarises both the data and knowledge needed to support prioritisation of public health policies and justify investments in health promotion. Results The Knowledge Gateway currently covers the areas of nutrition, physical activity, alcohol, marketing of foods and beverages, and related societal impacts such as disease burden and health inequalities. These topics have been prioritised by Member States representatives and policy makers. The content is organised into concise, well-structured briefs which include definition of each issue, health related effects, and examples of policy recommendations and implemented policies. The high-quality source documents are selected in a tiered approach and are mainly authored or endorsed by authoritative public health organisations. Lessons Judging by the positive feedback received, the Knowledge Gateway is being used widely across Member States and stakeholders. The content of the Knowledge Gateway will be further expanded to support other health priorities such as mental health promotion. Policy makers have a unique, trusted “one-stop-shop” with high quality information to support, justify and strengthen the development of public health policies and health promotion. Key messages The use of reliable authoritative information for the development of public health policies can support the prevention of major non-communicable disease risk factors. The EU Knowledge Gateway is a unique reference point of reliable, independent information to support policy making in the area of public health.

scholarly journals Advancing gender equ(al)ity, lifting men’s health: dealing with the spirit of our time

2020 ◽  
pp. jech-2019-213165
Author(s):  
Jorge Marcos-Marcos ◽  
Angel Gasch-Gallén ◽  
José Tomás Mateos ◽  
Carlos Álvarez-Dardet
Keyword(s):  
Gender Inequality ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Men’S Health ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Men's Health ◽  
Critical Factors ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
The Subject ◽  
New Research ◽  
Health And Well Being

In this paper, we jointly address two connected issues that should be addressed together more purposefully within both public health policies and programmes: the health and well-being of men and boys, and the focus on equity versus equality from a gender perspective. Awareness of these issues has boosted the debate on the impacts of gender inequality on health and men’s role within it. Although this essay is not intended as an in-depth review on the subject, we provide a brief approach to some critical factors interwoven in the process of achieving greater gender equality. We identify some of the challenges that may arise for both policy and new research that seek to assume a relational gender approach that also pays greater attention to men’s health.

scholarly journals A review of the One Health concept and its application as a tool for policy-makers

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-89
Author(s):  
Rodrigo de Macedo Couto ◽  
Danie Friguglietti Brandespim
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Interpersonal Violence ◽  
One Health ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Health Concept ◽  
The Government ◽  
The One

The One Health concept represents the inseparability of human, animal, and environmental health through a unified view of health care. This article addressed the topic of public health policies from the One Health perspective, demonstrating its inclusion in various health agendas such as emerging and reemerging infectious diseases, basic sanitation, mental health, chronic non-communicable diseases, interpersonal violence, and food safety. The results showed that the application of the One Health concept to the development and implementation of policies is associated with a growing need to involve transdisciplinary teams for solving complex problems to improve communication and to ensure the relevance and acceptability of public policies, thus guaranteeing governance. According to the principle of efficiency, the government must be aware of the evolution of technical knowledge and should use the One Health approach to improve the efficacy of already existing systems. We, therefore, conducted this review to contextualize current knowledge in this topic which is becoming an essential tool for public health policy-makers and practitioners around the world promoting a reflection on the importance of multiprofessional articulation in the implementation of intersectoral public health policies.

Building a Social Justice Narrative for Public Health

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 901-904 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence Wallack
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Collective Responsibility ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Public Health Perspective ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
The Core ◽  
The Social ◽  
Collective Processes

Public health is the place where science, policy, politics, and activism converge. Each public health issue is a snapshot where we can see the unfolding of the collective processes that define who we are, what we believe, and what we value as a society. Our professional strength is our commitment to community and social justice values, but we are challenged to effectively communicate these values in an individualistic, market-dominated society. It is this language of community, and the values it represents, that must be the core of the narrative animating a more just and healthier society. A public health perspective characterized by social justice argues that public health problems are primarily socially generated and can be predicted based on the level of injustice and inequality in a society. Thus, the solutions to such problems must be through progressive social and public health policies and are best understood as a collective responsibility shared across the various levels of society. When we can develop a narrative that effectively communicates the social justice values that are the foundation of this perspective, ours will be a society that better understands the meaning of public health and responds more appropriately to its challenges. We will then be collectively more effective in better translating our values into caring, and more effective, public policy. This will not be easy, but it will be necessary.

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