scholarly journals Electromagnetic hypersensitivity: a critical review of explanatory hypotheses

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maël Dieudonné
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Narrative Approach ◽  
Dimensional Problem ◽  
Ecological Value ◽  
Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
Complete Bibliography ◽  
Specific Symptoms ◽  
Environmental And Occupational Health

Abstract Background Electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) is a condition defined by the attribution of non-specific symptoms to electromagnetic fields (EMF) of anthropogenic origin. Despite its repercussions on the lives of its sufferers, and its potential to become a significant public health issue, it remains of a contested nature. Different hypotheses have been proposed to explain the origin of symptoms experienced by self-declared EHS persons, which this article aims to review. Methods As EHS is a multi-dimensional problem, and its explanatory hypotheses have far-reaching implications, a broad view was adopted, not restricted to EHS literature but encompassing all relevant bodies of research on related topics. This could only be achieved through a narrative approach. Two strategies were used to identify pertinent references. Concerning EHS, a complete bibliography was extracted from a 2018 report from the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety and updated with more recent studies. Concerning related topics, the appropriate databases were searched. Systematic reviews and expert reports were favored when available. Findings Three main explanatory hypotheses appear in the literature: (1) the electromagnetic hypothesis, attributing EHS to EMF exposure; (2) the cognitive hypothesis, assuming that EHS results from false beliefs in EMF harmfulness, promoting nocebo responses to perceived EMF exposure; (3) the attributive hypothesis, conceiving EHS as a coping strategy for pre-existing conditions. These hypotheses are successively assessed, considering both their strengths and limitations, by comparing their theoretical, experimental, and ecological value. Conclusion No hypothesis proves totally satisfying. Avenues of research are suggested to help decide between them and reach a better understanding of EHS.

Identifying changes in trends in the age standardized incidence of melanoma in Australia

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 250-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M Hille
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Linear Regression ◽  
Iterative Process ◽  
Linear Trend ◽  
Piecewise Linear ◽  
Health Issue ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Piecewise Linear Regression ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
Males And Females

ObjectiveTo identify changes in the linear trend of the age-standardized incidence of melanoma in Australia for all persons, males, and females. MethodsA two-piece piecewise linear regression was fitted to the data. The piecewise breakpoint varied through an iterative process to determine the model that best fits the data.ResultsStatistically significant changes in the trendof the age-standardized incidence of melanoma in Australia were found for all persons, males, and females. The optimal breakpoint for all persons and males was at 1998. For females, the optimal breakpoint was at 2005. The trend after these breakpoints was flatter than prior to the breakpoints, but still positive.ConclusionMelanoma is a significant public health issue in Australia. Overall incidence continues to increase. However, the rate at which the incidence is increasing appears to be decreasing.

scholarly journals Global Health Impacts of Dust Storms: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 117863022110183
Author(s):  
Hamidreza Aghababaeian ◽  
Abbas Ostadtaghizadeh ◽  
Ali Ardalan ◽  
Ali Asgary ◽  
Mehry Akbary ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Dust Storms ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Emergency Medical Dispatch ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
English Articles

Background: Dust storms and their impacts on health are becoming a major public health issue. The current study examines the health impacts of dust storms around the world to provide an overview of this issue. Method: In this systematic review, 140 relevant and authoritative English articles on the impacts of dust storms on health (up to September 2019) were identified and extracted from 28 968 articles using valid keywords from various databases (PubMed, WOS, EMBASE, and Scopus) and multiple screening steps. Selected papers were then qualitatively examined and evaluated. Evaluation results were summarized using an Extraction Table. Results: The results of the study are divided into two parts: short and long-term impacts of dust storms. Short-term impacts include mortality, visitation, emergency medical dispatch, hospitalization, increased symptoms, and decreased pulmonary function. Long-term impacts include pregnancy, cognitive difficulties, and birth problems. Additionally, this study shows that dust storms have devastating impacts on health, affecting cardiovascular and respiratory health in particular. Conclusion: The findings of this study show that dust storms have significant public health impacts. More attention should be paid to these natural hazards to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate these hazardous events to reduce their negative health impacts. Registration: PROSPERO registration number CRD42018093325

Theory of change: Don’t Bet Your Life On It

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Great Britain ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Seat Belt ◽  
Theory Of Change ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Clinical Expertise ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
Gambling Harms ◽  
Related Harm

Gambling-related harms are increasingly recognised as a significant public health issue in Great Britain. The vast majority of those experiencing gambling harms remain unidentified and without support. Don't Bet Your Life On It (DBYLOI) blends lived experience and clinical expertise to deliver practical safer gambling strategies virtually for players that can be accessed anytime and anywhere to prevent any life from being needlessly affected by gambling-related harm. It is designed to support players at any level of play by providing players with a “seat belt” to prevent harms from occurring, identify early signs of risk, and signpost those experiencing harms to get the help they need. This theory of change visual and narrative considers the inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes necessary to achieve these goals. It can be used by organizations, groups, and individuals in any sector impacted by gambling related harms in Great Britain.

Organizational Commitment Of Afad Istanbul Search And Rescue Unit

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Karakoç ◽  
Ö Erdoğan ◽  
E Demirbaş
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Organizational Commitment ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Internal Consistency ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
Search And Rescue ◽  
The Other ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
International Level ◽  
Significant Public Health

Abstract Background Our study is intended to evaluate the Organizational Commitment of the Istanbul AFAD Search and Rescue Unit (AKB) employees operating at national and international level during disasters and to serve as a model for the other organizations that conduct national and international operations in the area of search and rescue. Methods This research was carried out with a total of 75 employees from Istanbul AFAD AKB from 02.11.18 to 01.01.2019. Introductory Information Form and Organizational Commitment Scale were used for data collection. Findings of the study were evaluated via IBM SPSS Statistics 22. Results Among 71 persons who participated in the study, it was determined that 91.5% were male, 50.7% were at the age of 40 or older, 81.7% were married, 67.6% had bachelor's degree, 63.4% were search and rescue technicians, and 50.7% were employed by their current organization for 10 years or less. Regarding the employees, it was found that 25.4% had very good organizational commitment while 54.9% faced issues in relation to the organizational commitment. OCS point average of the employees was 3.07±0.20 and the obtained Cronbach Alfa internal consistency coefficient of the scale was 0.678. OCS points of those employed for 12 years or longer in total were determined to be high at statistically significant level. Also, OCS points of those who did not face any issue in relation to the Organizational Commitment were found to be high at a statistically significant level against those who faced issues. Conclusions It is important to ensure work satisfaction, provide harmonization, and avert chaos and stress for boosting the organizational commitment. Therefore, the managers should conduct activities intended to boost the employee commitment levels within the organization. Key messages Disaster is a significant public health issue and disaster employees are special. The issues faced by the employees that perform search and rescue operations must be considered important and resolved.

scholarly journals Intimate Partner Violence on Instagram: Visualizing a Public Health Approach to Prevention

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. 90S-96S ◽  
Author(s):  
Kellie E. Carlyle ◽  
Jeanine P. D. Guidry ◽  
Sharyn A. Dougherty ◽  
Candace W. Burton
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Ecological Model ◽  
Causal Attribution ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Public Health Approach ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
Social Media Platforms

Social media platforms like Instagram are often used as venues for discussing relationships, making them ideal channels for promoting healthy relationships and preventing intimate partner violence (IPV). This is particularly relevant for IPV, which has been historically understood as a personal issue and lacked support for consideration as a significant public health issue. To explore a potential platform for IPV prevention, this study examines the ways in which IPV messages on Instagram reflect public health understandings of, and approaches to, prevention and how Instagram users engage with these posts. We analyzed 700 Instagram posts about IPV using the social ecological model as the theoretical framework for conceptualizing framing devices. Posts that mentioned individual causal attribution and individual solution responsibility were both present in the majority of posts and elicited more engagement than posts that did not. Encouragingly, the Instagram sample was more reflective of a range of different types of IPV experiences than previous analyses of traditional media content, possibly indicating that a public health approach to this issue is gaining traction.

Assessing Effectiveness of Aggression Replacement Training at a Technical College in Thailand

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 1047-1056 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nualnong Wongtongkam ◽  
Andrew Day ◽  
Paul Russell Ward ◽  
Anthony Harold Winefield
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Youth Violence ◽  
Technical College ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Group Program ◽  
Vocational College ◽  
Aggression Replacement Training ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
Depth Interviews

Youth violence is a significant public health issue in Thailand where most people who are injured are vocational college students. There is a need to identify methods whereby such violence can be prevented. We trialed a group program in a technical college in Thailand with 23 students who received a modified version of aggression replacement training. We then compared their results with those of 24 students who did not receive any intervention or preintervention at 1 and 3 month followups. Although we found little evidence supporting the effectiveness of the intervention, participants in the intervention group suggested in the followup in-depth interviews that they felt more able to avoid or ignore provocation, and that they thought more about the consequences of aggressive behavior than they did prior to the intervention.

scholarly journals Engaging men in the health system: observations from service providers

2007 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul Monaem ◽  
Micheal Woods ◽  
John Macdonald ◽  
Rodney Hughes ◽  
Michael Orchard
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Health System ◽  
Service Provider ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Health Indices ◽  
Engaging Men ◽  
Significant Public Health

Men?s health is a significant public health issue in Australia. Increasingly, health indices show poor health outcomes for them. Literature suggests limitations in the health services dealing with their needs. If we are to improve boys? and men?s health, we should look at the efficacy of these services and address their limitations. This study provides data from a survey about the types of services available for boys and men. The service provider respondents expressed major concerns and identified ways of improving services.

scholarly journals Current Challenges in Hepatitis B

2011 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-44
Author(s):  
MA Ahad ◽  
MA Alim
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Liver Disease ◽  
Hepatitis B ◽  
World Wide ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Hbv Prevalence ◽  
Prevention And Treatment ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
Causes Of Mortality

Viral hepatitis and its sequelae is one of the important causes of mortality and morbidity world wide. Hepatitis B is a major cause of chronic liver disease and a significant public health issue. Between 350 million to 400 million people world wide chronically infected with HBV. The HBV prevalence in Bangladesh is 2.3 to 9.7 % with an approximate carrier of 10 million. The prevention and treatment of hepatitis B possess a great challenge.   doi: 10.3329/taj.v19i1.3168 TAJ 2006; 19(1): 38-44

scholarly journals Mapping the Spatial Variability of Sexually Transmitted Infections Across Fiji Health Regions

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michaela Sidloski ◽  
Tayyab Shah ◽  
Elisa Toroca
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Sexually Transmitted Infections ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Significant Public Health

Introduction: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a significant public health problem in countries within the South Pacific, including Fiji. If untreated, curable STIs such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis can cause infertility, adverse outcomes in pregnancy, and can increase the risk of contracting HIV in infected individuals. Methods: This research used cartographic software to map and analyze the spatial distribution of selected STIs across health regions in Fiji. Total rates of STIs, as well as the prevalence of gonorrhea and syphilis specifically, were examined for the years of 2007 and 2016 to determine how spatial distribution patterns have changed over this period, and how resources might currently be most effectively mobilized to address this public health issue. Results/Discussion: Our findings suggest that while some specific regions with high prevalence rates for 2007 and 2016 should be targeted for intervention in the short term, lack of data collecting and reporting raises concerns about the accuracy of rate estimations in non-urban areas. Conclusion: Analyzing the spatial distribution of the prevalence of STIs in a given population can better inform the development and implementation of intervention strategies at local scales, thus improving health outcomes for countries and their communities. Overall, consistent and transparent STI data collection and reporting procedures are necessary for effective long-term management and minimization of STI spread in Fiji.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document