scholarly journals It runs in the family: parental influence on adolescents’ compliance with social distancing measures during Covid-19 lockdowns

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ozan Aksoy
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Parental Influence ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
The Family ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Uk

Compliance with public health measures of adolescents who are often unfairly portrayed as spreaders of the Coronavirus is essential for controlling the pandemic. But does adolescents’ compliance develop independently from their parents? Using nationally representative longitudinal data and cross-lagged Structural Equation Panel Models I study compliance with social distancing measures of 6,754 triplets that comprise the adolescent child (age 19), their mother, and father during two national lockdowns in the UK. Results show that adolescents have the lowest and their mothers have the highest levels of compliance, and compliance generally drops over time. Moreover, parents, particularly mothers have significant influence on their adolescent child’s compliance. The child also has, albeit smaller effects on their parents’ compliance. Parental influence on adolescents’ compliance documented here thus redistributes some of the responsibility off adolescents towards all generations and calls for public health policies and campaigns that consider these family dynamics.

scholarly journals Vietnamese Public Health Practices in the Advent of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons for Developing Countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 163-164
Author(s):  
Jeconiah Louis Dreisbach
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Short Communication ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
World Health ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) presents a great challenge to developing countries with limited access to public health measures in grassroots communities. The World Health Organization lauded the Vietnamese government for its proactive and steady investment in health facilities that mitigate the risk of the infectious disease in Vietnam. This short communication presents cases that could benchmark public health policies in developing countries.

scholarly journals Navigating the COVID-19 Data Landscape: Automated Hypothesis Generation using Topological Data Analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Methun Kamruzzaman ◽  
Matthew Bielskas ◽  
Bala Krishnamoorthy ◽  
Achla Marathe ◽  
Anil Vullikanti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Data Analysis ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Topological Data Analysis ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Disease Outcomes ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Topological Data

Abstract Background: There have been significant spatio-temporal variations in how the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded in different parts of the country. While a huge amount of data related to the COVID-19 pandemic has become available including data on disease outcomes, different kinds of behaviors and diverse interventions, along with a number of co-variates, analyzing this data to characterize the spatio-temporal variations and gleaning actionable insights and hypotheses on different factors driving the pandemic remains a big challenge. The objective of this study is to identify in an unsupervised fashion the key spatio-temporal patterns, anomalies, and associated factors in the spread of COVID-19 in different regions that can be used in the development of models and the planning of public health policies. Methods: We present a topological data analysis (TDA) framework for exploring COVID-19 data that supports two types of analytical functions: i) discover disease epochs in the trajectories that reveal spatio-temporal events of interest; and ii) modeland better elucidate interactions between variables of different disease outcomes (e.g., number of cases, hospitalizations , deaths) and intervention mechanisms (e.g., social distancing, contract tracing). Results: Our TDA framework reveals several insights in an automated manner by identifying co-evolving and divergent cohorts of states with respect to various disease outcomes (e.g., number of new cases) and measures of behavior or interventions (e.g. social distancing, COVID exposure, hospital bed utilization). Our framework also identifies the branching points at which the different cohorts start evolving separately. Conclusions: The illustrative case studies show that our TDA-based analytical framework can help navigate the epidemic data landscape in an automated and guided manner, and can provide insights to formulate hypotheses and devise sound, data-aided public health policies.

scholarly journals Public Health Policies and Global COVID-19 Outbreak

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Komaroff ◽  
A A Belhouchet
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
P Value ◽  
Public Health Interventions ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
The Usa

Abstract Background Was the world prepared to face the pandemic with a standard strategy? Objectives To evaluate the association between public health interventions against the COVID-19 outbreak and the outcome. Methods The observational study included data on incidence of confirmed COVID-19 cases (outcome) and public health non-pharmaceutical interventions (exposure) from five countries: France, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and the USA, December 31, 2019 through April 12, 2020. The public health measures were grouped into five categories: lockdown, movement restrictions, public health measures, social (including social distancing) and economic measures, and use of facial mask. The multiple linear regressions were utilized to test the hypothesis that implementation of some public health measures was associated with the change in the incident number of COVID-19 cases, 2-sided, α = 0.05. Results The incidence of COVID-19 would be significantly greater without lockdown (1.89 times, p-value <.0001), public health and economic measures (25.17, p-value <.0001), and using masks (11.93, p-value=0.002), assuming that all other public health policies are the same. The effectiveness increases with earlier time of implementation. Among considered countries, South Korea was the most efficacious, where all measures were statistically significantly efficacious (p-value <0.05). Conclusions The findings demonstrate an association between public health measures and the outcome. The experience from South Korea should be studied further as the most effective non-pharmacological approach to fight the disease. This paper is the first step to develop the standardized approach utilizing the public health interventions to be applied effectively to the globe population. Key messages the most effective measures to control the COVID-19, and future outbreaks. The effect of particular measure varied by country and time of implementation.

scholarly journals Seven-year itch: the UK Government’s difficult relationship with the food and drink industry since Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Call to Action on Obesity in England (2011)

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Stuart W Flint ◽  
Emily J Oliver
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Bargaining Power ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Health Improvement ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Call To Action ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Uk Government ◽  
Food And Drink ◽  
The Uk

AbstractObjectiveUnhealthy food and drink consumption is associated with a range of physical and mental health concerns. In response, public health policies have been developed targeting a reduction in obesity in particular. In the present commentary we argue that government–industry partnerships have reduced the effectiveness of resultant policies and explore why.DesignPerspectives of authors.SettingUK.ParticipantsPopulations in the UK; UK Government.ResultsIndustry involvement has presented three interrelated challenges for the UK Government: (i) balancing collaboration while maintaining appropriate distance from industry stakeholders; (ii) resultant production of ‘watertight’ and effective legislation or intervention; and (iii) actual or perceived limited sanctioning or bargaining power.ConclusionsIndustry involvement in public health policy making has led to weak action. Support with policy implementation (rather than development) and genuine ‘buy-in’ from industry could accelerate the pace of public health improvement.

scholarly journals The pathway from distrusting Western actors to non-compliance with public health guidance during the COVID-19 crisis in Romania

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vlad Achimescu ◽  
Dan Sultanescu ◽  
Dana Sultanescu
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
Unsafe Behaviors ◽  
Conspiracy Narratives ◽  
Web Building ◽  
Health Guidance

Global crises provide a fertile environment for the proliferation of disinformation, rumors, and conspiracy narratives. We investigate people's perceptions and beliefs related to COVID-19 in Romania, during the lockdown period (April 2020) and during the state of alert period (July 2020), by fielding two surveys with different modes of collection (CATI and web). Building on measures tested in other countries, we identify the public’s vulnerability to conspiracy narratives and its willingness to comply with public health guidance. Using Structural Equation Modeling, we check if individuals exhibiting pro-Russian or anti-Western attitudes believe more strongly in COVID-19 conspiracy narratives compared to the rest of the population. Then, we check if those believing conspiracy narratives are less susceptible to comply with public health recommendations.We find in both surveys that holding conspiracy beliefs is a mediator between distrusting Western actors and noncompliance with COVID-19 guidelines. Thus, pro-Russian and anti-EU, U.S. and NATO attitudes are linked to stronger conspiracy beliefs, which relate to lower levels of concern and knowledge regarding the virus, which in turn can reduce compliance with guidelines. This suggests that openness to anti-Western narratives may have behavioral consequences. These findings highlight the potential sources of unsafe behaviors during the pandemic and can inform official communication strategies meant to counter both disinformation and non-compliance with public health policies.

scholarly journals The contributions of public health policies and healthcare quality to gender gap and country differences in life expectancy in the UK

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kasim Allel ◽  
Franceso Salustri ◽  
Hassan Haghparast-Bidgoli ◽  
Ali Kiadaliri
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Causes Of Death ◽  
Healthcare Quality ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Background In many high-income countries, life expectancy (LE) has increased, with women outliving men. This gender gap in LE (GGLE) has been explained with biological factors, healthy behaviours, health status, and sociodemographic characteristics, but little attention has been paid to the role of public health policies that include/affect these factors. This study aimed to assess the contributions of avoidable causes of death, as a measure of public health policies and healthcare quality impacts, to the GGLE and its temporal changes in the UK. We also estimated the contributions of avoidable causes of death into the gap in LE between countries in the UK. Methods We obtained annual data on underlying causes of death by age and sex from the World Health Organization mortality database for the periods 2001–2003 and 2014–2016. We calculated LE at birth using abridged life tables. We applied Arriaga’s decomposition method to compute the age- and cause-specific contributions into the GGLE in each period and its changes between two periods as well as the cross-country gap in LE in the 2014–2016 period. Results Avoidable causes had greater contributions than non-avoidable causes to the GGLE in both periods (62% in 2001–2003 and 54% in 2014–2016) in the UK. Among avoidable causes, ischaemic heart disease (IHD) followed by injuries had the greatest contributions to the GGLE in both periods. On average, the GGLE across the UK narrowed by about 1.0 year between 2001–2003 and 2014–2016 and three avoidable causes of IHD, lung cancer, and injuries accounted for about 0.8 years of this reduction. England & Wales had the greatest LE for both sexes in 2014–2016. Among avoidable causes, injuries in men and lung cancer in women had the largest contributions to the LE advantage in England & Wales compared to Northern Ireland, while drug-related deaths compared to Scotland in both sexes. Conclusion With avoidable causes, particularly preventable deaths, substantially contributing to the gender and cross-country gaps in LE, our results suggest the need for behavioural changes by implementing targeted public health programmes, particularly targeting younger men from Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Wir müssen abwägen – aber wie sollen wir abwägen?

2021 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-66
Author(s):  
Lutz Wingert
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Civil Liberties ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Individual Health ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Prospect Of Success ◽  
Moral Questions

Abstract The global Covid-19 crisis raises at least three moral questions, which my contribution answers as follows: (1) Which patient should get treatment according to triage criteria? The patient whose treatment has the best prospect of success. (2) How should we resolve the conflict between public health measures and economic needs? Public health should have priority, but reaches its limits where the individual right to stay afloat through one’s own work is violated. (3) How should we resolve the conflict between public health measures and civil liberties? Public health should have priority, but reaches its limits where the restriction of freedom violates the integrity of individual health and personal freedom. The answers and the arguments behind these are developed through the discussion of a wide range of current public health policies, concrete measures, and competing approaches to moral questions in the Covid-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Social Distancing During COVID-19: Will it Change the Indian Society?

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 224-235
Author(s):  
Manasee Mishra ◽  
Piyusha Majumdar
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Common Good ◽  
Personal Space ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Indian Society ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
The Family

Social distancing refers to a host of public health measures aimed at reducing social interaction between people based on touch or physical proximity. It is a non-pharmaceutical intervention to slow the spread of infectious diseases in the communities. It becomes particularly important as a community mitigation strategy before vaccines or drugs become widely available. This essay describes how a protracted adherence to social distancing guidelines could affect the Indian society. Changes are expected in some of the prevalent cultural norms such as personal space and common good. Gender relations within the family are likely to change in favour of greater sharing of domestic responsibilities between men and women. Older adults may particularly experience stress due to social distancing because of their physical dependency and emotional vulnerability. Working patterns are likely to become more flexible and promotive of social distancing. Human interaction based on digital technology is likely to increase. The implications for public health in India due to such changes are also discussed.

scholarly journals ‘Health in All Policies’ and the Urge for Coordination: The Work of Public Health Coordinators and Their Impact and Influence in Local Public Health Policies: A Cross-Sectional Study

Societies ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Tor-Ivar Karlsen ◽  
Charlotte Kiland ◽  
Gro Kvåle ◽  
Dag Olaf Torjesen
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Policy Outcomes ◽  
Health In All Policies ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Organisational Factors

Building heavily on the Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach, Norway implemented the Public Health Act in 2012 to reduce social inequalities in health. Local public health coordinators (PHCs) at municipal levels were seen as tools to provide local intersectoral public health work. In this study, we examine factors related to intersectoral agency and if intersectoral work is understood as relevant to securing social justice in local policy outcomes. A national web-based survey in 2019 of all Norwegian PHCs (n = 428) was conducted with a response rate of 60%. Data were analysed through multiple linear regression, hierarchical regression modelling and structural equation modelling. Neither factors relating to community contexts nor individual characteristics were associated with intersectoral agency. Organisational factors, especially position size, being organised at the top level and having a job description, were significantly associated with perceptions of intersectoral agency. PHCs seeing themselves as intersectoral agents also found themselves able to affect annual budgets and policy outcomes. We conclude that municipal PHC positions can be important HiAP tools in local public health policies. However, organisational factors affect how PHCs perceive their influence and role in the municipal organisation and thereby their possibilities to influence local policymaking through intersectoral agency.

Country-wide genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 strains

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kishan Kalia ◽  
Gayatri Saberwal ◽  
Gaurav Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Emerging Infections ◽  
Timely Manner ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Strain Collection ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Effective Public Health

Genomic surveillance has enabled the identification of several SARS-CoV-2 variants, allowing the formulation of appropriate public health policies. However, surveillance could be made more effective. We have determined that the time taken from strain collection to genome submission for over 1.7 million SARS-CoV-2 strains available at GISAID. We find that strain-wise, time lag in this process ranges from one day to over a year. Country-wise, the UK has taken a median of 16 days (for 417,287 genomes), India took 57 days (for 15,614 genomes), whereas Qatar spent 289 days (for 2298 genomes). We strongly emphasize that along with increasing the number of genomes of COVID-19 positive cases sequenced, their accelerated submission to GISAID should also be strongly encouraged and facilitated. This will enable researchers across the globe to track the spreading of variants in a timely manner; analyse their biology, epidemiology, and re-emerging infections; and define effective public health policies.

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